When The Night Fades
by GoodGurl
Summary: (Chapter 16--Al Bhed Home) Warning: AuronxLulu! Introducing...GIPPAL! A must read chapter! please rr thanx! And no flames please!
1. When The Night Fades

Note: Wahahahaha!!!!!!!! A different type of Auron romance and sorry about that Aurikku fans, but this is something I like about the pairing. This is a very depressing romance between Lulu and... Auron? Wonder how that happened! Read and find out!  
  
  
  
  
When The Night Fades  
  
  
  
Chapter 1   
  
  
The night sky seemed to be the only sword through his unbearable shield of defense. He didn't know how he came to this. Why did he become attached to these people? Why did he become attached to her? She was here, yet he... he was stuck between worlds. He was stuck between the living and the dead. He glanced towards the only person left sitting around the campfire. Everyone else had gone in for a rest, but he could still hear Rikku making ideas about how to defeat Sin, some of which, to what he thought, were ridiculous. He looked up and sighed quietly. He was ready to contemplate on the night sky, of how beautiful it was simply just by looking at it. The stars were even more beautiful if he paid more attention to it. He never really watched the night sky like this. When he slept, he would have nightmares, as if the night itself was the only thing that made him weary than any monster that he has ever faced.   
  
"Why are you afraid of the night?" He blinked, unaware now that the figure sitting a short distant from him had been watching this whole time. He never really understood why he was attached to this woman. She was mature for his age, true, but he never really understood. She was just a little girl then, but she grew quite different than what he remembered her to be. At twelve, she was just as happy as little Yuna, when they introduced her to Besaid Village. He has often wondered what made her be this way, so dark and mysterious and very much like him.   
  
"I'm afraid of sleeping and not waking again," he replied with a deep voice. He watched her nod slightly and turn her attention back to the night sky. Her belt clinked as she moved to her left. She placed her hands on her lap and leaned forward and pointed a finger towards the dying fire. After a few seconds, sparks flew from her fingers and he could smell the burning amber as the fire started again. He continued to watch as she shifted once more to her left, but he wasn't sure if she was inviting him to sit with her, or just moving to the left to be more comfortable.  
  
With a slight turn of her head towards him, she nodded. "Do you plan to stand there all night, Sir Auron?" she spoke, her voice deep and soft.  
  
Auron wasn't sure if it was his place to be near her. It's been far too long that he has spoken to anyone like this. The only time he has spoken to anyone about his personal life was with Lord Braska and Jecht, before they left him to be alive. Why did he have to be here?   
  
Lulu said nothing as she turned her head towards the fire. There were no more words to say in her part. She was inviting him too much. True, they have not spoken that long, but she felt close to him in a way. They had a lot in common. They have lost someone. "Everyone has lost someone in this group. But no one seemed to have said anything about it," Lulu suddenly spoke, surprised even at herself for speaking so suddenly.  
  
"That's because they would rather forget the painful memories than remember it all over again..." Auron replied, sighing. He knew all about Lulu's lost loved one and he too lost someone dear to him. His two best friends.   
  
"True..." She paused, unsure of what to say. This was, after all, Sir Auron. "But sometimes we all blame ourselves for our own loss. Because we couldn't protect them."  
  
Auron stared at her. He hadn't moved from his spot, but he could see rejected tears from Lulu as she blinked them away from her mind. If he could cry, he could do it, but he couldn't. Lulu could cry, if she wanted to, but she was forcing herself not to show her emotions. "Yes, that's true. I even blame myself for losing against Yunalesca and being weak to save Lord Braska and Jecth from death." He wasn't sure why, but after what he had said, he was beginning to move forward towards her.   
  
Lulu closed her eyes. "It's different for me, Sir Auron." Her voice was weak and almost ready to crack, but she was holding it too much that Auron couldn't tell whether she was crying at all. She was too good at it.   
  
Auron sat down beside her, giving them both enough space and found himself staring into the fire along with her. "How are we different, Lulu? We are all the same here. We blame ourselves too much that we don't even think of who the people we cared for were blaming."  
  
Lulu shuddered. Suddenly, it was beginning to feel cold. "No, Sir Auron. We ARE different. I blamed Chappu for his own death. I blamed him for being so careless and being unable to save himself from death. I blamed him for leaving me!" Auron found himself staring at her. The light from the fire gleamed at her face, making dances across her cheeks and her eyes. There was a glint of tears from the corner and before he could stop himself and before Lulu had a chance to wipe it away, Auron reached out with his good hand and cleared her face away with her tear. He surprised her and even himself.  
  
They stared at each other, confused at the sudden event that just took place. Auron was still touching her face, but he quickly pulled it away and stood up. "Well, you better get to bed, if we want to leave early tomorrow." He turned and walked away, deciding on heading to the hilltops to think of what he just did.   
  
Lulu blinked and shuddered again. There was something in his touch that felt empty, isolated and dejected that she couldn't help but watch him walk over the hills and stopped to sit down. Although the darkness enabled her to see exactly what he was doing, the light from the stars and the moon from above made it clear that he was thinking deeply again. Whatever happened to the clear, thinking man she met all those years ago? She shook her head and decided to think of something else. She cursed herself for being so careless about her tears. She promised herself before that she wouldn't cry. She was stronger than that! Lulu stared back at the fire, but it had already died down. Once again, she wanted to make another, but rejected the idea and stood up.  
  
Before she turned towards the inn, she quickly took a quick glance at the man in the darkness and frowned. They were the same.   
  
With that thought, Lulu stepped inside the tent and closed the door behind her.  
  
  
  
  
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The bright morning woke her up from her sleep, with thoughts of last night still running through her mind. She often wondered why Sir Auron was afraid of the night, when he had the courage to face it. She envied him for that. She was too afraid to face her own fears, even if it means having to conquer it.   
  
Suddenly, the door flew open and through it, appeared a bouncy blond making her way towards the bed. "Good morning Lulu!!!!" she yelped, jumping on her bed. She grabbed Lulu's hand and pulled her up. Lulu grimaced and stared at her. She wanted to scream at the girl for waking her up like this, but as she looked into the innocent eyes of Rikku, Lulu couldn't help but be kind to her. After all, Rikku has helped them through many dangerous situations.   
  
"Good morning, Rikku," she spoke softly. Rikku stepped back to let her stand up from bed. Even with the optimism, Rikku knew not to disturb Lulu even when she is in her happiest of moods. She was even more mature than she thought. Lulu shivered again. For some reason, she's been shivering ever since leaving Besaid as if the presence of the dead was nearby. Lulu felt her cheeks burning, but she brushed away the thought of that and followed Rikku as she ran out of the room and into the main hall where everyone was waiting.   
  
When Tidus noticed Lulu coming, he clenched his fists and happily punched the air. "All right, everyone! Let's go beat Sin!!!" Everyone else cheered, except for Lulu and Auron, who just nodded and spoke small simple words such as, 'yes, we will' or, 'we will beat Sin.'  
  
"There is no backing out now," Auron spoke, hushing everyone who was present. Lulu glanced at him, standing beside Tidus. "This is your last chance to back out now if you wish." He looked around at everyone.  
  
No one spoke.  
  
"Good! Everyone really wants to beat Sin, right?!" Tidus spoke, rather loudly.  
  
Lulu pressed a finger at her temple. Right now, Tidus' voice irritated her. Her head were thumping in pain, yet she chose to ignore it. Tidus' voice has never irritated her, until now and Auron noticed it. Hoping no one did, Lulu put her hand down and continued to pay attention to the people around her.   
  
"But..." Tidus stopped short and stared at everyone. His eyes stopped at Yuna, who was looking at him curiously. "What happens after we beat Sin?"  
  
Yuna smiled sweetly. "What do you think? No more Sin and no more danger here in the world. That means we have saved the world, thanks to you." She stared into his eyes.  
  
Tidus blushed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I haven't really done much."  
  
"Yes you have, Bro. You made us believe we can beat all the monsters in our way, ya? I mean, without you, we would never have won the cup at the Blitzball championship and showed those Luca players what we're made of!" Wakka threw his blitzball in the air and caught it with his pointer finger, the ball twirling around on it.  
  
"Yeah! And without you, we would never have beaten Seymour... you know?" Rikku tugged at Tidus' shirt and smiled up at him.  
  
Tidus smiled back. "Without me? Well, you could have beaten Seymour by yourselves and-"  
  
"With your determination and skills, you made us believe in ourselves and with it, I know we can beat Sin together," came Auron's voice. "You were meant to be here, Tidus. You were meant to be with us so you can show us the way. I was meant to send you back here so you can show us the meaning of courage and determination."  
  
Lulu glanced at Auron. She had no idea Auron had a side of him that spoke words of wisdom. Yes, she knew Sir Auron had wisdom, but never in that kind of subject before. She is never good at those kinds of stuff. She had to think of a way to encourage Tidus somehow, but none came out of her lips. So, she pursed her lips together and did what she could only do. Nod.  
  
Tidus looked at her and smiled. "You all believed this? You believed that I did all of this to help you beat Sin? The reason that I'm here is because I am meant to help Yuna beat Sin?" All six heads present nodded in unison.  
  
Lulu never believed it at first that Tidus could help Yuna. To her, he was a strange sort of man with no knowledge about the Summoners. She knew he wasn't of this world, but since Yuna grew fond of this boy, Lulu had no choice but to keep her mouth shut. The words in Yuna's mind crept back inside her. She knew that the young Summoner had to die somehow to save millions of lives, but Lulu had this aching feeling of wanting her to live. She knew that everyone also wanted her to live and the one who was struck much more in the heart, was Tidus. His love for Yuna meant everything to him and Yuna as well. But deep down, no one had any idea that Lulu would be even more struck if her only companion who she ever treated as her little sister would soon leave this world just like her father. First, Chappu, soon, it would be Yuna who is next in line to die. She chocked back tears that threatened to fall from her face. Death. It was a word that felt like ice in her heart. There has been too many deaths in her life. Her parents were an example and she thought that she could hide her emotional despair with Chappu, but Death followed her there. Ever since the news reached her ears that Chappu had died, Lulu chose to close her heart and herself from the world. She wanted to love Chappu and only Chappu. She wished to only love him and no one else. Lulu sighed quietly, unaware that Tidus had already left the inn, followed by the others. She was left standing alone, except for a figure hiding in the shadows of the inn. He was watching her this whole time.  
  
"Are you ready, Lulu?" Auron spoke quietly.   
  
Lulu looked at him. Since last night, it has been awkward between them. Before, it was hard for them to speak to each other, now it was even harder to even look the other in the eye. She simply nodded and went on ahead of him outside, where everyone else was waiting. It would be a few more hours until they reach the Zanarkand Ruins, as Wakka noted, but since everyone were into defeating Sin so much, no one slept that night. Lulu was the only one who had closed her eyes until Rikku once again woke her up for another morning. They rested for a bit inside the airship, but earlier the next morning, everyone already prepared for the fight. Lulu felt another headache coming on as she followed suit beside Auron, who seemed to notice Lulu's discomfort as they headed for the Zanarkand Ruins.  
  
"Are you all right, Lulu?" Auron spoke, glancing at the others to make sure no one was listening. "You seem ill." He glanced towards her, Lulu's face filled with pain.   
  
Lulu nodded. "I am fine, Sir Auron. There is no reason for you to worry about me." She could feel him staring at her again, but she didn't need this. She needed to get away fast and not have him watch her so closely. Lulu walked away from him and caught up with Rikku, who was skipping beside Yuna. She listened as the two women chatted about things that only 'young women' talked about. Lulu felt herself drifting away from that sort of topic. Love. She didn't need this kind of torture. Auron watching over her like a hawk. A topic about love. Yuna having to sacrifice herself. She didn't need this now. It was too much. Lulu closed her eyes in annoyance. "Shutup, Rikku! Is this really the time to talk about love?! Sometimes Rikku you can be so annoying!!!"  
  
Rikku stopped short, closing her mouth in silence. She glanced at Lulu and frowned, feeling hurt by the woman whom she considered as her older sister. Yuna glanced towards Lulu and stared at her curiously. Lulu seemed ill and she could tell by the pain in her eyes.   
  
"Lulu, are you okay?" Yuna spoke softly, placing a hand on her shoulder gently.  
  
"I'm fine, Yuna," Lulu responded, removing Yuna's hand from her. She stared ahead and noticed that the airship was just nearby. She ignored the stares resting upon her and began to walk ahead of them.   
  
"What's wrong with her?" Tidus asked.  
  
No one answered that question.  
  
  
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Aboard the plane, no one asked, nor talked about Lulu's outburst. Rikku was still quite hurt and was quiet during the trip. Her father had asked her what was wrong, but she just shrugged and put on a smile on her face. Lulu was seen entering one of the small rooms in the lower deck and when Auron heard this, he decided to visit her. Everyone took no notice as Auron left the bridge. Immediately after the plane took flight, Wakka was the first one to finally make the starting conversation on Rikku's behalf about Lulu.   
  
"Has anybody noticed how Lu's been acting strange lately, ya?" Wakka looked around for an answer, but all heads just shook in response. "What? You mean none of you have noticed? Or was it just me and Auron?"  
  
Tidus looked at him confusingly. "Auron? He knew something is wrong with her?"  
  
"Auron and I have known her since well... forever, ya? So has, Yuna, but I'm surprise you haven't noticed, Yuna." The large man glanced at Yuna.  
  
Yuna looked up and nodded. "I have, but I never really said anything. Lulu has been acting strange lately ever since we left Al Bhed City. I knew there was nothing for me to do, because I figured it would just disappear. I know Lulu too well."  
  
Wakka nodded. "That's true." He looked towards Rikku. "How are you feeling, Rikku?"  
  
Rikku nodded and said nothing. Cid glanced at his daughter, and then looked at the people around him. "Care to run through that again with me? Because all I got was how Lulu has been acting odd and Rikku's feelings." His daughter placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head.  
  
"It's not important anymore, daddy. I think we all just had a bad day, you know?"  
  
  
  
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Lulu couldn't lie down on the bed, nor sit down. She needed to get out and see the skies. For some reason, looking at the sky calmed her. She tossed and turned on her bed, the guilt inside growing rather painfully. Rikku had said to her once that she was like a sister to her. Lulu bit at her lower lip and sat up. She was feeling insecure in this place. She needed to get out. The black mage opened the door to her room and stepped out of the quiet hall. He could see a child running up and down the inclining platform and a woman walking around, but other than that, no one else roamed the lower portion of the aircraft. She turned right, deciding on going to the higher levels and out into the balcony to see the scenery. It was still early, but at least she can still catch a glimpse of the darkness fading in the distance, while the sun moved to replace the night with day. She crossed a short bridge and was making her way through another hallway, this time, desolate. The wall to both her sides made criss-cross patterns around it and as she knocked on the wall, it felt hollow and metallic. She continued to walk straight and, with her memory, turned right to find the balcony just a few more walks ahead of her. The balcony was always empty. No one seemed to enjoy the view, but she did. Every night, she enjoyed watching the sunset. It brought back memories to the time when Chappu made picnic by the beach. They slept on the sands and watched the sunrise and fall when night had soon came. He was the reason Lulu became enchanted by the beauty of the sun. Normally, she would never go out just to see the glowing sphere, but now, she always went to see it and would never get tired of it. Only now, it felt different. Chappu was no longer with her. She rested her arms on the bars and stared at the sky. The wind blew her dark hair behind her and only her ears could hear the clinking of her hairpins. She clutched her Moogle doll close to her chest and took a deep breath of fresh air, closing her eyes as much as she wanted. Suddenly, she felt the same headache again, this time, much worst than before. Lulu felt a pain surging through her brain and she went down on the ground on her knees. She clutched at her head and screamed inside with agony.  
  
Large footsteps were suddenly heard nearby. Lulu wanted to stand and pretend nothing happened, but the voice made her stop. The deep, richness of the tone of a man, made her stop short on her knees, one hand clutching tightly at her doll, while the other gripping hard on the bars.   
  
"Lulu, you seem in pain." He attempted to steady her, but Lulu just pushed him away with as much strength as she could and glared at him.  
  
"I am fine, Sir Auron," she spoke, rather harshly.  
  
Auron stared at her in shock, but said nothing in the matter. Lately, he noticed Lulu edgy and irritated. He could tell that the black mage was also ill, ill with fever and if possible, grief over her loss. She was still pining for Chappu. "You seem ill, Lulu. I'm worried about you."  
  
Lulu looked up and frowned. "You don't need to worry about me, Sir Auron." She brushed pass him, but Auron had grabbed her arm harshly, pulling her close to him. She would never dare go against the wishes of a man who had treated her so kindly, but this time, she needed to. She didn't need a man to worry about her. She was strong and no man can ever take the pain away from her. Why does Death have to happen? "Please let me go, Sir," she hissed. He was irritating her.   
  
Auron released her immediately, shocked by her tone. "Lulu, stop locking your heart inside. Let someone in." He placed a hand on her shoulder gently, but received a sharp blow in his face.  
  
"You don't know how I feel!" Lulu yelled, shaking his hand from her shoulder. She walked pass him and decided to go back to her room to sleep. What did he know about expressing feelings? He did the same! He was doing what she was doing! How ridiculous! Auron watched her go, feeling regretful of ever touching her. She could never let a man touch her, unless she let go of the past.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Depressing, eh? Please be nice people! This is my first AuroLu fic and yeah.... Please r/r. k? Thanx a bunch!!!!!!!!! 


	2. Fragile Package

Note: SORRY! SORRY! SORRY! I know I haven't been updating... to be honest... I haven't been committing to writing my stories and finishing it and it's also because I HAVE been busy! Anyways, here is the second chapter of the wonderful fic! LOL. So make yourself busy and read and review! ;) Please???? :D  
  
  
Chapter 2 - Fragile Package  
  
  
  
So much was going on in her mind, running like a ticking time bomb ready to explode. The memories of her and Chappu kept coming back and no matter how hard she tried to forget, it flooded back in her veins. What she did to Sir Auron was unacceptable and she had no right to do what she did. She suddenly felt tired so she did the only thing she had to do that morning... sleep. Lulu laid down on her bed and closed her eyes and only for those seconds did she find peace, until the Al Bhed ship began to rock back and forth. She got up quickly, feeling rather nauseous with the whole ship rocking.  
  
Startled, Lulu heard someone pound hard on the door and through that door did she hear Wakka's deep voice. "Hey, Lu! Get out bed quick! We're being attacked and it looks like we need some black magic here!"  
  
Without a word, Lulu opened the door to her room and noticed Wakka was already gone. In a calm state, Lulu quickly fast walked to the cockpit and noticed that everyone was fighting off a large monster, spreading six wings that were around six feet high. The monster itself seemed to be six feet of height or more and its mouth and teeth were larger than its feet and hands. Beside the menacing monster, stood a man with long dark hair, wearing a blood red robe. He held a staff in his hands and on it, was a glowing black sphere. Lulu glanced hard at the man before them, but before she could identify, him he had already spoken first.  
  
"So, you're alive after all, Lulu!" he said, pointing the staff towards the black mage. "After all these years, you're still pining over the great Chappu! You're so pathetic! That is what made you weak, Lulu. You and that stupid boy!"  
  
"Hey! Who are you?" Tidus stepped forward and stared at the man angrily, clenching his fists at his sides. "Who do you think you are, calling Lulu weak? She is stronger than you'll ever be!"  
  
The man glanced at the boy and smirked. "This is your little group now, Lulu? You even chose the most weakest of them all."   
  
"Before you make insults, I think it's customary for you to introduce yourself, don't you think?" came Auron's deep-set voice. He stepped beside Tidus, taking out his large blade from the inside of his coat. He flung how sword on his shoulder and stared at the man through his round black glasses that gleamed underneath the rays.   
  
Lulu said nothing for a while. Her mind was still set on that man standing menacingly before them. She knew the man, but she couldn't quite remember his name. She remembered a sixteen-year-old boy fighting alongside with her against a monster that was about to devour them. Along with her dolls and magic, they fought bravely against the six-foot monster that brought chaos in Besaid Village. "Kai Maru," she finally said, after the name popped in her head.  
  
"Impressive! That was the shortest time you actually remembered my name. The last time we met, it took you a few more minutes until you finally remembered," he replied, cocking his head to the side. He folded his arms across his chest and gave her a mocking grin.   
  
"Who are you and what do you want?" came Rikku's voice. With one slow hand, she reached for a bomb from her belt and held it close in the palm of her hand.   
  
"You better watch where you throw that thing, little girl! You might hurt someone!" Kai spoke, placing the end of his staff on the ground. He glanced at the strange group in front of him. "What a very interesting group. I think I'm going to have fun killing all of you! Lulu..." He stared into her eyes. "You will be the last to die, in honor of you of course! Black mage versus black mage, right? That's more honorable." His dark green eyes glowed with danger.  
  
"Who are you calling little girl, you psycho!" Rikku frowned, leaning a little bit to the left to where Lulu was standing. "You know this guy, Lulu?"  
  
Lulu nodded. "Yes. He was my best friend."  
  
"Awww, aren't I your best friend anymore, Lulu?" Kai mocked, pretending to have his heart broken. He grinned and glanced at Rikku, before he lifted his staff above his head.   
  
"What's this guy's problem?" Tidus asked, glancing at the black mage behind him. "Why does he want to kill us?"  
  
"We don't have time for this. We should just finish him off or something," Rikku spoke. "We still have Sin to beat. Do you think we have enough time to beat this guy?"  
  
"No. WE will not beat him. I will," Lulu retorted, glancing in Rikku's way.   
  
"What are you saying, Lulu?" Yuna spoke softly and with concern in her voice.   
  
"I'm saying he only wants me. He only wants to beat me." After all these years, Lulu couldn't believe that Kai was alive. She thought he had died during their battle against Sin all those years ago, even before she met Yuna, Wakka and Chappu and came to Besaid Village.  
  
  
Behind all the training of being a Summoner, behind every Guardian, there was always a conflict and Lulu had the greatest conflict she ever had to muster. Her and Kai were best friends since childhood, where she grew up in a small, remote village just west from Besaid called Presia. They were both trained as Black Mages so in return, they can be Guardians to the next Summoner in line. In Presia, there was none born from a great Summoner, so after their training was over, the two had to embark on a journey to Besaid, where they could become Guardians to the Summoner there. However, it was not known, that the two had to go to separate continents. It was impossible for two Black Mage Guardians to watch one Summoner. As a result, a young, sixteen year old Lulu was sent to Besaid, while Kai was transported to Samrali, an unknown place that was yet to be discovered by travelers. They promised each other that would stay together always, even though they were miles and miles apart. But, Lulu's promise had to be broken, when she met Chappu and became involved with him. She also met Yuna, where she became her permanent Guardian, along with Wakka, Chappu's brother and Kimhari. With Yuna being the youngest, she was the only priority in Lulu's life. She never heard of Kai after that.  
  
"Are you telling me, that this guy is just out to kill you because he's angry with you for leaving him?" Tidus said, after Lulu told them of her story.   
  
Yuna and Wakka stared at her. All this time, they had no idea that Lulu was acquainted with a man as crazy as he. Kimhari said nothing; instead, he just folded his arms across his chest and stood there like he heard absolutely nothing.  
  
"It is more than anger, Tidus," Lulu replied.   
  
The young Summoner, Yuna stepped forward, readying her staff. "It doesn't matter who he's after. We fight together and that's all that matters. We stick together, Lulu."  
  
Lulu was baffled by Yuna's brave words. True, this was not her first time hearing those words from the young Summoner, but this was the first time where she heard Yuna spoke of them with so much confidence and determination that she couldn't help, but be touched by her words. However, it was not the time to be emotional. She had seen Kai's magic. They were far more dangerous and not being able to see each other for years, who knows how much he has improved them. "Yuna, stop. I cannot allow all of you to fight for me. This is my fight." Without giving Yuna another word, she turned to Kai and nodded. "You only want me and me alone. If you are willing to fight me, then I ask for you to let the others go."  
"Lulu! What are you doing?" Tidus spoke, staring at Lulu. Lulu ignored his protests.   
  
Kai stared at her, unsure at first, but then finally made his decision. "All right. You and I will fight. I will let them go, in one condition."  
  
"What's that?" Wakka spoke, speaking for Lulu this time. He gripped his arm tightly around his Blitzball and winced as Kai glanced at him.  
  
Lulu said nothing when Kai turned his attention to her. It was only a second, when all of them heard a loud bang. The monster that was beside them the whole time had disappeared. The aircraft rocked back and forth, while a rumbling sound startled everyone from their reverie. Lulu fell on her knees, smoke now filling the inside of the craft. She couldn't see anyone, nor hear anyone, except for small fits of coughs surrounding her. Her vision was blurred as she stood up. She lifted up her arms and felt around her so she knew where she was going. Another bang forced the craft to rock back and forth. Lulu felt a hand on her shoulder and before she could turn her head to look, she was knocked unconscious. The assailant lifted her body into his arms and carried her to an exit, where his transport was waiting for him. Kai glanced at Lulu's lifeless form, flew into the air, landing gently on the monster's back and fixed himself comfortably on him, before he commanded the monster to fly from the chaos that ensued the craft.   
  
A moment later, Kai disappeared into the clouds of smoke, along with the fragile package asleep in his arms.  
  
  
  
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His body ached all over. Lifting himself up from his odd position, Auron looked around cautiously, before standing up on his hind legs. There was a moment of blur in his visions, before it finally cleared. Smoke filled the air and dust fell like hail, as if it was pouring from the sky. He dodged a falling debris and headed calmly to nowhere, self-consciously looking around for his companions. His throat was dry and there was harsh wind blowing his eyes. As he walked on, Auron realized that he was walking on sand. The sunglasses that covered him from everyone else, was missing, the part of him that made him who he was. He had walked for a few more minutes, until he heard a faint moan from a distance. His heavy boots thumped on the ground as he looked around tiredly for the sound. Finally, for what seemed like hours, ahead, he noticed a figure laying on the ground, their back facing him. He easily recognized the short blond hair and the unique style of his pants.   
  
"Tidus..." he called, finally getting his breathing back. Auron called again, but this time, Tidus turned his head around to find his companion crawling to him. "Tidus, are you all right?" he asked, trying to stand up.   
  
Tidus nodded, sitting up. He winced, feeling a pain at his temple. The blond lifted up a hand to touch the pain and grimaced once more, removing his hand from his head, now filled with blood. He glanced up at Auron, now beside him, watching the young boy with concern. "I'm fine. How about you?"  
  
Auron nodded as well. "I'm fine as well."  
  
The blond looked around curiously. "Where are we?"  
  
"It looks like we're in the desert," Auron spoke, watching around him as well. He took a deep breath, his hands reaching for his weapon to see if it was still there. To his relief, he felt the metal touch his naked hand. "We have to find the others."  
  
"Yuna!" Tidus quickly got up and looked around frantically.   
  
"Hey wait!" Auron called. Too late. Tidus had already ran ahead, calling Yuna's name. Auron sighed and followed the tracks quicker than the sand covering the footprints. He easily found his way to Tidus, who found Yuna getting up from the ground. Beside her, who was also recovering from the trauma, was Kimahri. Not far ahead, were Wakka and Rikku, with their heads popping out of an abandoned shelter. The only person missing, to Auron's fear, was Lulu.   
  
"Where is Lulu?" Yuna asked, before Auron could say it.   
  
Tidus helped her up on her feet and looked around. "She's the only missing." He glanced towards Auron. "You don't think..."  
  
Rikku frowned. "She's here! If we keep looking, we'll find her eventually."  
  
"No, she's not here," Auron replied. "Kai has taken her."  
  
Everyone gasped in horror. Yuna stared at Auron, stepping towards him. "Are you sure?"  
  
Auron nodded. "Have I ever been wrong?"  
  
Yuna could not doubt that. For year she's known Auron, she could not doubt his conclusions on anything. She glanced at everyone around her, stopping to stare into Tidus' eyes. "Tidus... What is our plan?"  
  
Tidus looked at her. "You already know the answer to that, why are you asking me?" he spoke, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Because I want to make sure we're on the same page," Yuna replied.  
  
Tidus nodded. "Then, let's go find her," he said.  
  
  
  
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"I see you're awake," came a low voice. She opened her eyes, feeling something warm and soft stroking her forehead. Lulu trained her eyes first on the side and when she turned her head, she was now staring into the cold eyes of Kai. Startled, Lulu quickly sat up and pulled herself away from him. She looked around, noticing that she was in some kind of untouched cave. She leaned her back on the cold wall behind her, lifted up a palm towards him and filled her eyes with rage.  
  
"You really think I want to fight you, Lulu?" Kai spoke.  
  
Lulu glared at him. "Isn't that the reason why you took me? You got what you wanted! What are you waiting for?"  
  
Kai shook his head. "You've completely turned into one of them! You've turned weak because of them!" He stood up, turning his back towards her. "Why can't we be friends again, Lulu? What did I do wrong?"  
  
Lulu's eyes softened. "You did nothing wrong, Kai. I just... I couldn't be your friend anymore. I had to move on and so should you." She wanted to move on. She wanted to find love from another person. Chappu.  
  
"Am I not good enough for you?" Kai jerked his head towards her, his eyes now filled with hate. "Chappu was a weakling! What did you ever see in him?!"  
  
Lulu's eyes glowed. He had read her mind. "How dare you read my mind!" Lulu pulled her hand back, about to attack him with Thundaga, however, Kai was quicker. He swiftly moved towards her, pulling her arms back behind her and stopping her attack before she could go any further.   
  
Kai stared closely into her eyes. "You really think that can avenge the death of Chappu? Your magic has no match for me!" He pulled her arm tighter, and then pushed her hard against the wall. "If you want to live, then say you love me and erase your mind of him!"  
  
Lulu turned her eyes away from him and said nothing.   
  
Kai growled and with lust growing in his mind, he lifted Lulu's head up and put his lips on her delicate neck. He sucked at her neck, licking every curve of it. From her neck, he moved to her cheek, tasting every inch of her, and finally, to her lips, biting at the lower part, and then touching the top half with his tongue. Lulu felt her hairs stand on her head and for a moment, she wanted to kiss him back, but this man was the reason she was in this situation. He was forcing himself unto her. Why should she give in? She was stronger than that!   
  
Before Lulu could decide on hitting him back, Kai had already pulled away from her. Lulu opened her eyes and stared as Kai watched her with a mixture of lust and anger. "It has been a long time since you've been with a man, hasn't it?" When he didn't see her respond, Kai slowly made his way back towards her. He grabbed her hands once more and pulled her against him. "I can change that," he whispered in her ear.   
  
Tears, for the first time fell from her eyes. She felt fear and anger. She felt pain and loneliness. No! She can't be weak. She shouldn't! She must be strong! Lulu suddenly opened her eyes. With all her might, she pushed him as hard as she could, forcing him to land on his butt. Lulu glared at him.  
  
"You think I'm that weak, Kai? You know better that I was the one who defeated you during those trainings we had! You can never beat a Black Magician like me!" She pulled her hands back once more and with all the energy she had, cast Thundaga on him once again. "You can never have me!"   
  
Cloud suddenly filled the air as large thunder came crashing down around him, enabling Kai to move anywhere. He looked ahead of him where he noticed Lulu still watching him. He blinked a couple of times, trying to remove the irritation of the thunder bolts from his eyes and when he opened them again, the woman that he had longed for, was already gone.  
  
"That's where you're wrong, Angel..." Kai spoke softly, removing the thunder from around him with one hand. "I will have you, whether you like it or not!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Oooohhhh! This is getting good, eh? Heh heh! Anyway, SORRY SORRY SORRY and SORRY! I will keep updating this time! See ya! 


	3. Forgotten

Note: Hee hee -_-; I haven't been updating all that much, especially THIS story. Sorry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope none of you guys gave up trying to check to see if I updated, because you all have to understand that I have been going to school and school's NOT easy! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! See you on the next one! Warning: Mild swearing on this one and gruesome too! :D  
  
  
Chapter 3 - Forgotten   
  
  
  
She ran as fast as she could, her feet soaking from the mud that formed from constant raining. The air around her suddenly grew thinner and she breathed in for more, before realizing that she was surrounded by four tonberis, each of them carrying their deadly weapons, no matter how small they were. Her dark bangs fell in front of her face as she paused to face all four green mole-like monsters. The pins and sticks that kept her hair up were no longer with her so her hair fell behind her like a sea of black curtains. Lulu knew the tonberis were as dangerous as the large monsters around the forest areas. Usually, she and the others avoid them by running away on chocobos or have Auron easily finish them off, but Lulu was on her own. No matter how strong her magic was, she was nothing compared to the power the tonberis had.   
  
"That's no way a black mage thinks!" came a deep, sensual voice. Lulu did not need to turn around to know whose voice it was. One tonberi moved forward, as slow as it could get and attacked her as quickly with its dagger. Lulu blocked with her thunder, keeping the tonberi away from her and cast ice on it, but it just moved away from that attack as well. She could not think, with Kai watching her with lust in his eyes from behind. How could she be defending herself from monsters when she should be defending from Kai, the most dangerous monster of all?   
  
Kai watched with amusement, regarding her small, petite body moving from side to side, her hips seducing him to its final depth. He couldn't wait until Lulu's own hips straddled against his own and it would be worth something for him. Lulu was struggling with the tonberis, but despite it all, he folded his arms across his chest and smirked.   
  
The woman did a triple cast, the ground shaking the four tonberis from their spots, forcing them all to fall. Lulu attempted to finish them off with another earthquake, only to feel Kai lifting up his own arms in the air and casting a deadly spell on all four, killing them instantly. Their bodies baked as the heat from the large rock that fell from the sky scorched them into pieces, the muddy ground absorbing the blood that blew from the small monsters' bodies. Lulu watched in horror at the attack, thinking of her six friends lying on the ground if they were ever caught in the cross fire with Kai's magic. Regardless of the act, Lulu suddenly began to run for her life and was surprised to see Kai just standing there, doing nothing to stop her.  
  
"Keep running, Lulu!" he called. "I like it when a girl plays hard to get!"  
  
Lulu closed her eyes, imagining herself flying in the air, with no one to touch her. She wanted to be free. Despite her escaping Kai's grasp, she knew she was not free yet. He will continue to haunt her- continue to bring her to her knees and make love to her. He lusted for her and she was afraid now that if she kept thinking of him, she will feel the same way.   
  
Night soon glowered down on her with the moonlight touching the contours of her attractive face. She wanted to run, but she was too tired to continue. However, if she stopped now, Kai will surely find her. Lulu wanted to continue, but her knees buckled and she dropped on the ground like anvil. Where was everyone? Of course, why would she expect them to find her so quickly? She was in the middle of nowhere. 'I have to keep going,' she thought to herself. Chappu would never let her give up. Yuna would never let her die and she would never let Yuna die. She needed Yuna. She was her sister.   
  
"Well, what do we have here?" Lulu jerked her head over her shoulder and gasped at the sight of two large men approaching her. Finally, there was help.   
  
"Please, someone, help me! Someone's here to kill me!" she pleaded. She knew she sounded pathetic, but she didn't care. Lulu needed help after all. Why would she need help? She was Lulu after all and everyone knew Lulu was headstrong and knew how to take care of herself. Lulu got up quickly and ran to one of them, one who was walking ahead of the other and landed on her knees. She grabbed a part of his shirt and wept. She could not take it anymore. She needed someone. ANYONE! She was willing to get help from someone, even strangers.  
  
This man, with strange, long red hair tied up in braids, wearing green tunic and strange colorful pants, glanced at his friend, whose hair was also in braids, but with brown hair and faded blue tunic. "What is it, my lass?" she spoke with an accent she has never heard of before.  
  
Lulu said nothing. She felt something warm touching her breasts. Gasping, Lulu looked up to find the man grinning, his hands fully cupping her breasts in his large hands. "What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm just trying to make you feel better, hon," he spoke, winking at her.   
  
The black mage growled, slapping his hands away as hard as she could. She pointed a finger at him, ready to cast thunder on the big man and send him away fifty feet through the bushes, however, as she hummed the words, no power came from her. Lulu felt her powers draining, her energy gone from the previous fights. The man advanced towards her, followed by the other one, who was leaner and had fewer muscles than the red head. Lulu gasped. That's all she had. Magic. The rest... She felt useless at this point. She was going to die here. "I'm sorry, Yuna, I couldn't protect you," she whispered. She looked around for anything else to defend herself with. Lulu found a large trunk that must have broken off from a tree and she grabbed it as quickly as she could and swung. However, the larger man just grabbed it from her hand and threw it behind him. He grabbed her and pinned her down on the ground. Lulu closed her eyes. No longer will she ever fight anymore. No matter how hard she tried, the fight would continue to hurt her. The night was once again her enemy. The shadows that lurked above her blocked her view of the moon for the last time, before she felt her clothes being ripped off, like a part of her skin was taken away. She felt a sharp pain inside, tears now welling up inside her and flowing down her cheeks. This is what death felt like, even though she was not dying in body. She was dying in her heart.   
  
  
  
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What was that? Auron glanced up at the night sky. It was a week now and there was no sign of Lulu. Days and days they searched for her, but still no luck. He felt a sharp pain in his neck, like something bad had just happened. He grabbed his sword from the ground and stood up, placing his weapon on his shoulder with less effort. The day to defeat Sin would be delayed for now. Their first priority now was look for Lulu and bring her home where she belonged. He heard something crack behind him. Quickly, Auron looked behind him, his sword aiming at something delicate.   
  
"Do you really hate me that much, after everything we've been through?" a feminine voice spoke. She was a woman in her thirties, her small green, round eyes gazing through the thick lenses of his glasses. Her long, wavy brown hair was the only thing that reminded him of that same girl he fell in love with ten years ago. Cess Marjorie was the last person he needed right now. Auron put his sword down and sighed. She hasn't changed much in ten years and there was a lack of happiness in her eyes now than before. She wore blacker and tighter clothes, accentuating everything on her hip, her chest, her arms and legs and the insides of her thighs. On her feet, she wore black boots, strong enough to keep her from falling on muddy hills and wet plains, the shoelaces of the shoes keeping her feet inside. A small, red cape was attached on her shoulder, one corner wrapped around her arm, while the other flowed behind her. Cess wore tight fitting black gloves that cut off until the fingers around her hands and arms. A long sword was attached at the side of her hip where a large, buckle made of mythril hugged around her waist.   
  
"Cess..." he spoke, almost to a whisper.   
  
Cess looked behind him, expecting his companions, Jecht and Braska to come stumbling in, wondering what spooked Auron so much. However, there was no one and she finally spoke. "Where are your dear friends, Jecht and Braska?" She looked Auron up and down herself, making sure he was still the same Auron she fell in love with all those years ago.   
  
"They're both dead, Cess," Auron spoke, his voice low and solemn. "They died ten years ago when they tried to beat Sin."  
  
The woman gasped. She had no idea THIS would happen. She always thought the fearful trio could survive the battle with Sin, but... I guess not all stories end with a happy ending, she thought. Cess looked up, removing Auron's glasses from his face and looked closely into the eyes that were now Auron's. He has changed so much, though she could still see the youthful man she met while she was training in the Besaid fields with her father. She placed a hand on his face, remembering the way his skin felt and put his glasses back on. Cess turned away from him and looked down on the ground. She had a job to do and there no point in going back to the past and falling in love with him again. Auron had someone else in his mind now. She had to hunt HIM down. "I'm sorry to hear about Jecht and Braska, Auron. I just came by, so I'm leaving." She turned to leave, but Auron's strong hand had grasped itself around her arm. Cess paused and turned her head to face him.   
  
"You didn't come here just to see me, Cess. No beautiful woman with a sword with her would come looking for me in the middle of the desert," Auron spoke, releasing Cess' arm gently.  
  
Cess turned around, rubbing at the red marks Auron left on her arm and shook her head. "You're right, I didn't come here to see you. I came her to ask you something."  
  
"About Kai? Who is he, Cess?" When Cess didn't answer, Auron grabbed her arm again and looked deeply into her eyes. "Who is he?" he repeated.  
  
The woman turned away. "I'm sent to kill him, that's all, Auron. I don't know who he is. Someone paid me to kill him."  
  
Auron released his grip on her and frowned. "You're an assassin now, Cess? Is this what you do for a living?"  
  
Cess furrowed her eyebrows in frustration. "Why do you care? You never even bothered to write me a letter and ask me how I was doing! You cared too much of Braska that you didn't even bother to notice me. I knew that you would be unfaithful to me the moment you became a Guardian."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Auron put his sword back inside its sheath and folded his arms across his chest. "Being a Guardian is more important."  
  
"That's right!" Cess hissed. "Being a Guardian was more important than me! That's why I have to do this, to make you realize that this job is now as important to me than you are to your Guardianship."  
  
"That's why you became an assassin? To show me that you didn't care about me anymore?" Auron couldn't believe what he was hearing.   
  
Both were silent for a moment, until Cess began to walk away, but not before Auron suddenly changed the subject to the woman Cess feared to hear about- a woman, ten years his junior. Why should she care? He was free to choose whomever he wants, despite the gap of their ages.   
  
"Who is he, Cess? He might be hurting my friend right now, if you don't tell me who he is," he spoke, taking off his glasses once again.  
  
A friend, she thought. Maybe there was hope for her after all. She wanted to tell him that Kai was someone she knew, but that was not her job. Telling the truth was not her job. All she needed to do here was tell him to stay away from her mission and leave everything to her. So, why couldn't she tell him at this moment? Why would she miss a man like him- the one who had forgotten all about her? Making a decision, Cess took a deep breath. "All I know is that this Kai person is a black magician who just wants to get laid, that's all." She looked closely into his peering eyes, the pupils in them turning into slits and she knew what it meant...he didn't believe her.   
  
"Who hired you to kill him? He must be a son of a bitch to have someone hire an assassin to kill him," Auron spoke; with words she has never heard him say. At first she was surprised at his choice of language and that's when she knew that this woman whom Kai kidnapped must mean so much to him, even more than she was. Cess never took her eyes off of him, studying every contours of his face, wondering if her convictions were true about him. Sometimes, she had to peer so hard into his face to find out what exactly he was thinking. The man was good at hiding his emotions.   
  
Finally, after moment of silence, Cess shrugged and turned around, turning her head over her shoulder to look at him as she spoke. "Maybe the person who hired me was a woman who got mad at him for dumping her, who knows. All I need to do is kill this man, get my money and get myself a glass of the famous Besaid martinis."  
  
Auron did not stop her this time as he watched her leave. She pause for a moment and looked over her shoulder once again, taking another look at the man who changed her life, the one who destroyed it and the one who made her feel alive again. Cess finally had the courage to turn once more and tell him what she needed him to do. "Oh and one thing!" she yelled out. "You stay away from this. This is my job and I don't want any of you or your friends barging in trying to save your other friend." With that said, she turned and walked away, out of Auron's sight. The man stared into nothing, the words Cess spoke, still lingering in his mind. He couldn't stay out of it. If it meant Lulu's life is on the line, then he had no choice, but become part of her job. She had no other choice either. He will have to make her change her mind about this new job of hers.  
  
"Auron..." The tall man was slightly startled as a figure stepped in beside him, his mind still trying to solve the problem between him and Cess. He glanced to his side, a man in his youthful age, staring up at him with a curious look, like a child curious at what was inside the cookie jar. Tidus never ceased to amaze him. Despite the death of his mother, the changes of his father as Sin, the knowing of sacrifice of Yuna's life and the disappearance of Lulu, the young blond manages to put a smile on his face. "Who was that?"  
  
Auron took a while to get the question in his head, until Tidus stared at him for the longest time that he could no longer take it anymore. "She was an old friend of mine. We- were lovers," he explained. He was never good at explaining anything personal to anyone, let alone the one closest to him.  
  
Tidus nodded and looked down on the ground, as if telling the older man that he was done asking any more questions tonight. Another good point Auron found in Tidus. The seventeen year old knew when to ask questions and when not to. However, Auron chose to be generous tonight and opened his mouth to share his most hidden secrets that only he knew alone. "Her name was Cess Marjorie. She was part of our little group, Jecht, Braska and myself. Cess and I fell in love soon after that and I drifted from the other two for a while, until Braska told me something that I could not refuse. Braska knew in the beginning that he would become a Summoner and Jecht was the first one to volunteer to be his Guardian, then I spoke up to be one too. Braska also wanted Cess to be his Guardian, but Cess was unsure. She wanted to marry me and she wanted me to stay with her. I was torn between my friendship with Braska, my duty as a Guardian and my promise to Cess that I would love her forever." Auron took a deep breath. That story took a lot out of him and as soon as he finished telling his story, Tidus spoke up with his usual sunny, delighted voice.  
  
"Cess was wrong to leave you just like that, Auron! I have to admit, if I were you back then, I would have stayed with Cess, but you also had your responsibility as a Guardian to stick with Lord Braska, so I guess it's okay...." He paused, thinking of something else to say, but none came out. Auron almost smiled as Tidus looked down on the ground, trying to think of a good advice to give the older man, but there was nothing. Tidus looked back up and grinned, realizing he had the same situation as Auron's a long time ago. "I guess I'm a hypocrite to tell you that, when I have the same problem."  
  
Auron nodded slowly. He knew what was going on. Yuna had told him once that she loved Tidus very much and she couldn't decide whether to end her life, leave Tidus all alone or stick with him and abandon all her duties as a Summoner and end the world. At that moment, Auron couldn't talk to her as a father reassuring his daughter, because... he was dead. He abandoned everything a long time ago. "It doesn't matter," Auron finally spoke after a few seconds of silence. "We all say something that doesn't make sense sometimes. I guess you could say, life doesn't make sense at all."  
  
Tidus winced. The tall man glanced at him and Auron knew that he had hit the spot on Tidus' worried heart. Yuna, he thought. The young blond looked down and sighed, his face turning into a frown. "I don't know what I'd do without her, Auron. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me."  
  
Lulu, Auron thought, without even thinking it. Her name just popped into his head. He couldn't understand why his attraction to her was stronger. Maybe it was just lust, a man hunger for a woman who, for the longest time, has never touched one since Cess. That must be it, he thought. "I know what you mean." Did HE even know what he's talking about? All men must be attracted to the black mage. Auron closed his eyes in frustration. Lulu affected him so much that night they talked underneath the stars. He knew her thoughts were always on the one man who died with honor, but Auron couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her tears were another constant reminder of what he had forgotten all those years ago, the girl who cried out his name. His thoughts now shifted to Cess, the memory he had forgotten- the girl who cried out his name. He had forgotten love, he had forgotten everything a woman needed and Auron wanted to comfort someone. For him, that was his nature, even though not many men could have that type of personality where he wanted to comfort any woman. Most men just don't care. How could any man ignore a beautiful woman crying nearby? When he saw Lulu crying out for Chappu, all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around and make her feel better. He wanted her to forget Chappu, but who can blame her? No one could forget any of their loved that died just for their sake. He hated it when women cried. He would hurt anyone who made women cry.   
  
"Auron?" Auron blinked. He hadn't thought of anything THAT much for a long time, ever since he hit puberty at twelve. He had so many questions in his head when he was young, but now that he was old enough, many more thoughts added to the previous ones he had when he was a child and intertwined together like a blender mixing dough and eggs.   
  
"Yes?" It took a moment to realize that the one who had called him sounded female, soft and kind like singing birds. In unison, Auron and Tidus turned their heads to see Yuna approaching them.  
  
Yuna paused on the other side of Auron and looked up at the man whom she considered as her father and smiled gently, but Auron could see worry in her eyes for the one person who was not present with them. The wind blew the bangs in her eyes and a small grain of sand caught against the tresses of her short, brown, locks. The sand in the desert were less harmful than the ones near Besaid village (heh, I don't remember if there was sand near Besaid, but hopefully there is. I'm just making everything up as I go, I hope it's not going to ruin anything :D). "How are we going to find her?"  
  
Auron thought about that. "I know someone who can help us," he spoke simply. No one, not even Yuna, the one who asked him the question, bothered to ask him any further on the subject. Yuna and Tidus were the first one to realize that Lulu meant something to Auron than anything else, so she closed her mouth and looked up at the stars.   
  
"We'll find her," she spoke quietly. "I know we will, don't worry." She did not need to look at Auron to know his hopes were high up. She knew Auron too well, about how he felt and Auron did not need to yell it out to her either.   
  
All three stood there quietly and silently took in the beauty of the forms the stars were forming in the sky. Auron did not need to voice the reason why he saw a face and sticks and pins attached to the face's head, while long, dark hair fell down her shoulders like black silk.  
  
  
  
  
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She woke up with a jolt, her head spinning and her body aching. Her eyes opened to a bright, beautiful day, her mind, nothing, but blank. What happened to her? It took her a while to remember the one terrible thing that happened to her. Lulu wrapped her arms around herself, feeling disgusted with herself for giving up too quickly. She felt chills run down her spine and she wasn't naïve to find out that she was naked all over her body. Only an off white blanket were wrapped around her- other than that, she was wearing nothing at all. Lulu glanced to her right. Her clothes were there, her dress and the belts sitting neatly on the old, rotting wood of what was once a chair. Her hairpins and hair sticks were lying neatly in lines on top of the dress and her boots were hidden from view underneath the skirt of her dress.   
  
"I see you're awake." Lulu jerked her head and looked up as the man she feared the most entered the room without permission, carrying a bag of something. She quickly covered herself as much as she could from head to toe, even taking the pillow from behind her and putting it on her lap and glared at him.  
  
"What did you do to me?" she hissed, wanting so much to cast him an ice spell to freeze him to death.  
  
Kai snorted as he sat down her bed, clothed only in his under clothes, consisting of a white tunic and white trousers. He set the large plastic bag down on another chair that Lulu did not notice before and looked at her. "You should be thanking me," he spoke, with a sneer. What was once a grin and a face of lust, was now replaced with anger and concern for her. Lulu was confused.   
  
"Why should I be thanking you?!" Lulu yelled, ready to escape, but it was no use. She had no clothes on and she would not let any man see her that way. She would not let Kai explore his eyes all over her and make him feel lust all over again. It was better that he was angry than hungry.   
  
Kai smirked, picking up the plastic bag he placed on the chair and opened it just slightly so that the top half was opened. "Take a look. I did it for you."  
  
Lulu furrowed her eyebrows. As the man leaned the bag closer for her to see, the black mage was shocked beyond belief. Two dismembered heads stared up at her and long red and black hair tangled and almost ripped from their heads, haunted her every being. Lulu shuddered, her stomach lurch from the foul smell that escaped from the bag. Blood were still dripping from the flesh that was once attached to their bodies. She took her eyes off of them and contained her sickness inside, not wanting to show Kai her weakness, but it was too late. Kai had seen it. "What have you done?" she spoke, after finding her composure.  
  
"I did something good, that's what," Kai replied. He dropped the bag on the floor and it stumbled against the legs of the chair. The bag rested there as Lulu can still see the heads still staring up at her with deathly eyes. After doing so, Kai wrapped his arms around Lulu's naked body and peered closely into her eyes, his warm breath ready to throw her off from her bed. "I would kill anyone who touches you. Those bastards deserved it."  
  
Lulu said nothing. She didn't know what to think. She agreed most of what he had said, but she could not love him the way he wants her to. Kai leaned closer, ready to kiss her, but the black mage turned her head and closed her eyes defiantly. "They deserved it yes, but we don't deserve each other. I don't love you!"  
  
Kai nodded and grinned. He placed a hand under her chin and pulled her head back to face him. "Then I'll MAKE you love me," he whispered softly, gently kissing her lips. He released her and stood up, looking down on her with that smile playing on his lips. "Soon, you'll love me." With that said, he picked up the bag from the floor and left the room soundly.  
  
Lulu sighed, placing a hand on her lips. No matter how intense and passionate his kiss was, there was only one man who can make her love him and he was no longer here. She glanced out the window, the glass ready to break and sighed as the afternoon sun kissed her forehead. She wished they would come soon and get her. "I don't know how long I can stand to be with him," she whispered out loud. She doesn't know either how long she will be able to stop herself from kissing him and release her lust to him.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Uh-oh, what does Lulu mean when she said she doesn't know how long she can hold herself from kissing Kai? The gang better hurry up and find her, before she lose herself the passion and before Auron lose the person he loves the most forever. 


	4. Love Knows No Boundaries

Note: Sorry about dis guys! I hope I didn't let u lose ur interest on this story! I was REALLY busy, believe me! ^_^; Anywayz, wondering what happened to Lulu after she was kissed by the awful Kai? Well, I guess you have to find out.   
  
  
Chapter 4 - Love Knows No Boundaries   
  
  
  
A perfect picture was in her mind. Wild flowers in green grassy fields while she watched the birds fly by in the sky. Beside her he sat, watching the sky as well. He turns to her and smiles and her heart starts to flutter. For many years, she has waited, wishing- hoping that he would come back to her life, but as she reached for him, he begins to fade. She called his name, but he faded faster into the air and disappeared. Tears fogged her eyes, her heart starting to feel pain. So this is what heartbreak feels like, she thought. Lulu stood up, wiping the tears away with her hands.   
  
"Don't cry," a voice spoke in the air. Lulu looked around, hoping to find someone, but there was no one there. She heard the same words whispered in the distance and Lulu frantically searched for the source of the voice, but found no one.   
  
"Who's there?" she called.  
  
"I don't like it when you cry. I like it when you smile. Why don't you smile?"  
  
Lulu shook her head. She ran forward- hoping that the person was somewhere ahead. "Where are you?" she spoke. "Is that you, Chappu?" Lulu whispered in the dark. She ran through an even greener grass, her hair blowing behind her. She lifted up her dress so her skirt would not touch the ground and she would not trip on it and ran faster, catching up to the voice that was now fading. Ahead, she noticed a shadowed figure, standing there, waiting for her. She could tell it was male, tall and muscular. She ran towards it again and when she was close enough, the figure turned to face her, only to reveal a face that made her blood run cold.   
  
"Why are you crying?" he spoke.  
  
Lulu backed away and shook her head. "No. Why are you in my dream?"  
  
"I won't allow you to dream of someone who is already dead or anyone else for that matter, Lulu. You're mine!" He took a step towards her and grinned. "Sooner or later, you will be mine, bonded by the souls of eternity!"  
  
"NO!" Lulu screamed.  
  
  
  
  
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The skies were clearer this time of day. He stood outside, thinking, wondering if Lulu was okay. He could never tell anything from Lulu's cold expressions. Ever since he, Braska and Jecht left Besaid, he had almost forgotten how Lulu took care of Yuna most of her life with so much effort and skill that. He remembered her to be exuberant and always smiled, but that all changed when she met Chappu, an outgoing young man as explained by Yuna when he returned that same day when their young Summoner became a full-fledge summoner.   
  
"Auron, why have you not told me about Cess?" Yuna spoke from behind.  
  
Auron sighed quietly, knowing that Yuna was going to ask him this someday. "Because it was not my place to say," he replied. He felt tiny hands encircle his large shoulders, then that same small voice say, "I understand that you don't want to talk about it, but... I just want you to know that I'm here for you."  
  
"Thank you," the man spoke quietly. Could she help his situation? His feelings towards Lulu were far greater than he ever had towards Cess. He couldn't understand it himself that he could feel this way about a woman many times his junior. Would Yuna be able to understand? Would she accept it?   
  
All was suddenly quiet and Auron knew at that point that Yuna was waiting for him to say something more about his past. He took a deep breath and shook his head. "For now, Yuna, I do not think you will understand." Was he feeling lonely all of a sudden? Is that why he feels something towards Lulu? Maybe it was just a crush? No... it wasn't some silly crush like some high school kid having a crush over the most popular girl in school. His feelings were far deeper than the average crush. Suddenly, it hit him. Auron winced at the thought. He was not disgusted by it or was in shock by it, but he was rather surprised at it. He barely knew the woman, yet here he was, thinking about how much he loved her. Love... is this what he has been missing all his life? Auron felt suddenly tense and Yuna, aware of it suddenly, backed away and looked up at him worriedly. Something was bothering him, she thought.  
  
"Please, Sir Auron, what bothers you so much?"  
  
Auron turned to look at her and, behind his mask, smiled weakly. "What bothers me, Yuna is how curious you and Tidus can be. I am fine and there is nothing for you to worry about. You seem tired from Ifrit's summoning, so why don't you rest for a while and I will wake you up when we find something about Lulu?"  
  
Yuna frowned. Why won't Auron admit it to himself that he loved her? "Auron, are you scared of something?"  
  
Auron turned to look at her curiously, pretending to be confused. She was good, he thought. First, she figured out about his feelings towards Lulu and now, she knew how scared he was for her and how he was denying his love for her. "I'm not scared of anything." Braska's beloved daughter has definitely grown up to be a smart young girl.   
  
"You can talk to me about it." By now, she could see the land below, a sign that they were now landing close to the Sandar Ruins. In her heart, she believes that Lulu was somewhere there, somewhere cold and isolated, a place where that man could have taken her, where no one can find her. She noticed something moving below, something black running across the forest. "Auron... someone's running down there! It could be Lulu!" She pointed just to their right down below.  
  
Auron followed her finger and saw it as well. He looked at her and nodded. Without thinking, he jumped before the aircraft could fully land. Yuna yelled his name, but Auron was already on the ground, unharmed, running towards the figure that was making its way towards the mountains. Yuna turned around and ran to tell the others.  
  
He was close behind her now, running, pushing his way through the thick bushes that were slowing him down. Ahead, he recognized Cess Marjorie's wavy brown hair as she ran. When his arm was close enough to reach her, he grabbed her arm and forced the woman around. Cess immediately, drew her sword, the sharp end making close contact with his neck and all Auron could do was stand there, waiting for her reaction. Cess frowned by the time she realized it was him and put the sword away.  
  
"So, you're following me now?" she asked, pulling her arm away from Auron's grasp.  
  
"You're going the same way we are, so why don't we work together to find them?" Auron suggested, looking closely into her eyes.  
  
Cess frowned. "I work alone, Auron! I already told you that! I don't need any of you to help me look for the bastard!" She turned around, ready to leave again.  
  
Auron was frustrated now. He was usually the calm and collected type, but he was running out of time. Lulu's life was at stake and he wasn't about to stand here and do nothing about it. In all honesty, he needed Cess' help, but all Cess was doing was running away from her problems, instead of resolving it. "Dammit, Cess!" He grabbed her arm once more and without thinking, wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. "You have no idea how much it hurt me when I had to abandon my life for a new one! I loved you very much! You have to understand that Sin destroyed everything in its path, even you, so I had to do everything I can to help Braska with his summoning so he could save the world."  
  
Cess stood there, enthralled by Auron's words. She said nothing as she continued listening to Auron talk. "You were the only who kept me going. I kept thinking of you in every time I breathed, every time I slept and every time I fought a monster! All I could see was your beautiful face beaming in my eyes!"  
  
The woman closed her eyes, shaking her head stubbornly. No, she shouldn't let her emotions get the better of her. She has to move on now. She knows it. Auron knows it. With all her might, Cess pushed him off of her and looked at him, tears flooding her eyes. "I had no idea you felt this way, Auron. But you and I both know that a past is in the past now. I can't let my feelings be in the way of my job. This is the life I chose to live. You chose yours, so I chose mine." Slowly, she turned around and walked away. This time, Auron did not stop her.  
  
"If you love me Cess, then you would do everything for me, wouldn't you?" Auron called out to her. He waited.  
  
Cess paused suddenly. "Like I said, Auron..." She was speechless. She didn't know what to say. Auron knew her better than she did. She would do anything for him- anything, but the thought of him being with another woman... "He'll be at the top of that mountain just ahead. I tracked him down with amount of power he used when he carried her there. Expect him to be waiting for you though, because he knows you're coming. He knows I'm coming too. I know that he's going to use every amount of his magic to keep you from taking her back. But Auron... if you get there before I do and if you plan on killing him, leave him to me. I plan on doing the killing myself."  
  
Auron said nothing as she disappeared once again into the woods.   
  
"AURON!" Tidus and the rest of the gang appeared from behind the woods, gasping for breath. He did not turn around, for his eyes were still attached to the woman who disappeared into the darkness.   
  
"Auron, what happened?!" Rikku's voice rang.  
  
Auron turned around slightly to look into the questioning eyes of the young people and pointed to a mountain ahead. "That is where he's taken Lulu."  
  
"How do you know?" Tidus asked, staring at him curiously. "Did you talk to someone?"  
  
"Yes," Auron replied, nodding. "It was Cess."  
  
"Why didn't you ask her to join us?" Wakka questioned. Yuna nudged him in the shoulders, shaking her head at him slowly. "What?"  
  
Auron stood stiffly. There were times that he wished Wakka never came, but he was a useful lad, so he can just tolerate him. "She wanted to work alone," was all he said, before walking ahead of the others. The others followed suit, their eyes sometimes taking swift, curious glances towards the mysterious man. They could not tell his expression from his eyes that were blocked by the thick, black glasses he usually wore. He adjusted his sword inside its sheath and the large water jug that he carried around him and walked faster, making the others walk a bit faster. There was no time in taking the Cid Plane. They would have to go back and ride there, but them time would be wasted. "If some of you are tired, you can all go back and ride with Cid. I will go on ahead and you can catch up with me."  
  
Tidus shook his head. "And leave you here all by yourself? No way! We're a team, remember?!"  
  
Auron sighed. He disliked it whenever Tidus used the word, 'team' against him.   
  
They arrived a few hours later, looking up at the largest mountain Auron has ever seen. Just over the hills, Lulu was going to be there, waiting for someone to rescue her and that someone would be him. Without giving it a second thought, Auron started climbing, Tidus' and Yuna's pleas fading from his ears. He didn't want to hear anyone. He wanted to hear Lulu's voice and her see her smile for the first time. He would be the one to make her smile, to make her happy. He was going to be the one to let her move on with her life from Chappu. There. He knows it. He could no longer deny it. He loved her. He has always felt this overwhelming affection towards Lulu. Yes, he knows that he is thirteen years older than her, but that didn't matter.   
  
Love knows no boundaries.  
  
  
  
  
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She inched away from him, his face close to hers. She couldn't do anything as he spread her legs apart, so he could 'explore' his possibilities. Lulu was frozen. She closed her eyes in agony. She couldn't do anything. How come no one is here to take her away from this fear? Kai plans on taking her whole life away. She has never done this. She hasn't even given all of her life away when Chappu was still alive. She and Chappu were going to wait, but now that he was gone... Tears streaked down her face. Why did everything have to happen to her? She didn't want this. What happened to the boy she knew a long time ago? Kai used to be very sweet. He would never do this. No... she was wrong. Kai was the type of man who would do this to her. He would do anything to take her virginity, so he can claim her for himself. That was his way. Chappu would never do such a thing.  
  
"Why are you resisting me, Lulu?" Kai whispered in her ear. Lulu inched further away, pulling the blanket over her half naked body. Kai was only able to rip the front of her shirt halfway, because Lulu had scratched him at that point. However, despite all that, Kai advanced. He had her pinned under him now and Lulu was too weak from her escape earlier to push him away. The more Lulu resisted, the more Kai advanced.  
  
"I won't give in to you."  
  
"Why? Are you waiting for him? Are you waiting for the dead Chappu? Or are you waiting for someone else? What about that man? Auron was it?"  
  
Lulu gasped. He was close now. He was close to her. Auron? What did he mean?  
  
"I mean that man was practically drooling with jealousy and rage when I took you away. Or, haven't you noticed?" Kai kissed the nape of her neck, grasping both her arms back on the bed.  
  
Lulu closed her eyes. Why couldn't she do it? What happened to all her strength?   
  
"You are going to love me, instead of that man, Lulu. You and I both know it."  
  
Lulu shook her head weakly. "Noo..."  
  
"YES!" He spread her legs farther apart and when he was close enough, he pushed as hard as he could inside her. Pain surged through Lulu's body. How can this be happening to her? How can he do this to her? Is his job to make her life a living hell? This was not what she imagined herself of making love with a man. Making love to someone was supposed to be beautiful, not as painful as it was right now. Making love was supposed to be painless and full of love, not lust nor pain.   
  
"I'm going to make you mine...finally..." Kai whispered in her ear as he entered once more.  
  
Lulu closed her eyes. More tears streamed down her face. How has she become so vulnerable to him? She was now feeling like a whore, a plaything that men would do every night or whenever he felt like it. That's all he wanted. He wanted someone to screw around with. Lulu felt another pain go through her body. She wanted to save herself for someone. Even if it wasn't Chappu, she wanted to save herself for someone who loved her dearly and the one she would love as much as she did Chappu- someone whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Now... This man had taken it away. He was taking her life away. Her whole mind, her whole body...  
  
He was taking away herself.  
  
  
  
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"Auron! Wait up!" Auron looked down, his mind focused on Lulu and Lulu alone. He could see Tidus, with Yuna carried on his back as she watched up at the man, hoping he's wait for them. Wakka and Rikku were not far behind, both climbing expertly using their hands and legs. Kimahri trailed behind, his large feet as it thumped against the rocks, almost shaking them off. Auron held tighter, putting his arms out behind him so Yuna could grab on. Tidus pushed farther as Yuna grabbed Auron's hand and climbed on his back. Yuna wrapped his arms around Auron and he climbed up at the top ahead of everyone.  
  
After a few more hours, Auron was already halfway at the top, with Yuna close to him. They found a cave ahead and decided to stay there for the night. Tidus, Wakka, Rikku and Kimahri were the last few to arrive and they joined Auron and Yuna inside the cave. Kimahri stood guard outside, making sure no one followed them, while Rikku gathered a few sticks found just nearby and make a small fire around a circle they all formed together. Tidus found his way beside Yuna, while Auron sat on a rock... thinking.   
  
The night moon soon glowed in the distant, casting shadows on each and every individual present inside the cave. They were quiet for a moment, thinking about what was happening with Lulu, wondering if she was all right. Rikku was the first one to break the silence, speaking for everyone. "I wonder if Lulu is okay..."   
  
Everyone turned to look at her. "Of course she is," Yuna replied. "She is the strongest person I know in body and mind."   
  
Rikku nodded and smiled. "I know she is. I didn't mean to doubt that."  
  
"What about that Cess woman, Auron? Is she really going to kill Kai?" Tidus asked, looking up at Auron who was sitting quietly away from the circle.   
  
Auron looked at him. "Yes. It is, after all her job. She was hired to assassinate him and that is all I know."  
  
"That means she's on our side, right?" Wakka asked.  
  
Auron stood up and walked near the entrance to look at the moon, while everyone watched him quietly. "I know she is. She was the one who told me that Kai would be just over the mountains."  
  
"Are you sure she was telling the truth?" Rikku asked. "I mean, isn't it odd how she disappears so fast without us even knowing where she'd gone?"  
  
"That's how she became," Auron replied. "She's turned skillfull and cold after I left her."  
  
No one said anything after that.  
  
  
  
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Morning quickly came faster than she anticipated. She sat, her eyes staring into nothingness. She could still feel him on top of her, invading her every soul, probing her mind with his. It was as if he ripped her whole heart apart, by the cruelty that he created himself. She was no longer whole. She was now just a piece of meat to be passed around with. Lulu wrapped her arms around herself, shivering as a cold breeze blew pass her naked body. Kai was gone, leaving her to wallow in self-defeat. She no longer feels herself. She felt like someone else. Where was everyone when she needed their help? Where were they when she cried out their names while Kai invaded every part of her? Lulu grabbed her pillow from behind and wrapped her arms around it fully, burying her face against it. How could she have gone weak? With one last breath, Lulu cried against the pillow, until she grew tired and fell asleep.  
  
  
  
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"I see you found your way here," he spoke, taking a step forward. He curled a strand of hair behind his ear and looked at her, folding his arms across his chest. "I applaud you for that."   
  
The sun was shining against her pale skin as she stepped out of the shade and into the beautiful morning sun. She winced at his sarcasm and took out her sword. "If you go with me quietly I won't have to kill you."  
  
Kai did not budge.  
  
She approached him, sword in hand and lifted her weapon up so the sharp end made contact with the delicate skin of his neck. "Didn't you hear what I said? Give up now, Kai and maybe I won't torture you. Maybe."  
  
Kai lifted up a hand. Alarmed, Cess looked up, pointing his sword to his hand and moved her head to look at him, but before she could even react, the man had one hand around her small neck. Kai glared at her, his eyes boring holes through her head. "Torture me? You can torture me all you like, until you catch me!" He gripped his large hand tightly around Cess' neck and smirked. "No one can keep me away from her!"  
  
"Who said (cough) anything (cough) about her?! (cough)." Cess lifted up a leg and with all her strength, kicked Kai where it hurts. Kai stepped back in pain, stumbling back in shock as a pain surge through his body. He was forced to let go of Cess. Cess quickly grabbed both his arms and pulled them back behind him. She put her arm around his neck and aimed the sharp end of her sword against his neck. "You think you're so slick as to kill me like that! It's not as easy as you think killing me. I'm going to be the one to take you down once and for all!"  
  
Kai laughed. "Oh so this is about your glory and riches, is that it? Very good there, Cess! I applaud you for that as well. You really surprise me. With your ex-boyfriend coming back in your life, who else is going to stop you from killing me? I know you better than that fool! You can't kill anyone! You're still hung up on him! He's the reason why you haven't actually killed anyone!"  
  
"Shut up!" Cess harshly spoke in his ear. "Who says I don't have the guts? I've waited five years for this! It's time I finish my job, get my money and put you in detention for good!"  
  
"You've chased me for five years, that I'm surprised you haven't found me attractive!"  
  
"The only thing I'm ever going to find attractive about you is your head on a platter!" Cess yelled, ready to swipe the sword through his neck. However, Kai was faster. He grabbed the sword before it could kill him and gripped it tightly between his hands, making his hands bloody. Cess fought to take the sword from him, but Kai had grown much stronger than usual and pulled the sword away from him.   
  
"You are an annoying woman, you know that?" Kai spoke, irritably. "I can easily kill you with my bare hands!" He broke the sword with both his hands with barely any effort and dropped the pieces on the ground. He walked slowly towards her.  
  
"I was born to make a living hell out of you!" She charged forward, with just her fists and instincts. Cess barely managed to make a punch as Kai dodged every single one of her attacks. With a surprising look, Cess quickly drew another sword from her back, without Kai's knowledge and charged back at him again. She cast thunder on him, one that was stronger, but slower for Kai's tastes. He used shield to block the attack and retaliated with Waterga, the attack surrounding her. The blue mist danced around her, ready to drown her, but Cess fought back with her sword technique, the Blade of the Immortal. It swiped through the Waterga attack with one blow, dissipating it whole. Kai was more surprised of that.   
  
"You're very persistent, aren't you?" Kai spoke, putting his arms down. "I can understand why you were hired by him. You're one of the strongest assassins that were able to withstand my Waterga attack with just one pathetic sword technique. But that won't stop me. All assassins fall dead with the rest of my magic."  
  
"I quiver in fear," Cess replied, with no emotions whatsoever from her words.  
  
Kai smirked. "Well, I'm glad you're telling me how you feel." He lifted up both his hands and smiled even wider, showing her that his next attack would be an unbeatable one. Suddenly, Kai's whole body started to glow bright. His eyes were now a deep shade of red and his hair has turned into a dark black from its usual color. Cess' eyes glowed in astonishment. She felt an immense power, a power so great it was forcing her to back away. "I'll show you what I can do," he hissed. He lifted his head up into the sky and the glow grew brighter, even giving out a blast that sent chills down Cess' spine.   
  
  
  
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Auron opened his eyes. He suddenly felt a very powerful, yet evil aura somewhere. He got up from his sleeping position and slowly crept outside into the moonlight. Kimhari had his head rested against his chest, his eyes half closed. He was standing near the entrance, as usual, when he heard footsteps. Kimahri looked up and noticed the tall man walking out of the cave, his eyes blankly staring into nothing.  
  
"What is matter, Sir Auron?" Kimahri whispered, his deep voice quiet, not wanting to disturb the others sleep.  
  
Auron looked at him. "I feel something, Kimahri. I am certain that Kai is nearby. I want you to stay here while I go on ahead. Tell the others not to follow me."  
  
"Why?" Kimahri asked, placing his large hand on Auron's shoulder to stop him.  
  
"Because it's much too dangerous for all of them. It's best that I go on ahead on my own so I can stop Kai."  
  
Kimahri put his arm back down. "Tidus say... we are a team."  
  
Auron nodded. "I understand that. You all have been a great help to me. They can catch up with me later if they want, but they look tired. You should rest too, Kimahri. Just let them know where I have gone."  
  
Kimahri finally nodded. He watched on as Auron grabbed the wall behind him and started climbing. As quickly as they have climbed back up halfway, Auron disappeared behind the rocks and into somewhere that Kimahri is uncertain of. "Please, be careful, friend," he whispered mostly to himself.  
  
  
  
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She fought hard, but her energy was dying away from her previous contact against the wall where Kai had thrown her at least fifty feet into the air. Cess struggled for her strength as she stood up once again, not willing to give up easily. "Still not giving up?" she heard Kai speak. Blood ran at the corner of her mouth. Her cape was torn to pieces and her left shoulder pad made of metal was scattered to pieces, leaving her shoulders bare with just a fabric of her black shirt.   
  
"I never give up my prize!" Cess spoke back. She felt herself up in the air like before. She flew once more into the air and was smashed against the same wall, her back cracked hard. She could feel her bones crushing. Cess fell on the floor, bleeding.  
  
Kai walked towards her, admiring the woman's courage. "I'm surprised you're still alive after a dozen of beatings from me. I suggest you give up your so-prize and let me kill you fast."  
  
Cess placed an arm across her stomach and stood up once again. "I would rather be eaten by Cerberus than be beaten by you!" she yelled, grasping her sword with her other hand tightly.  
  
"Cess!" She heard a deep voice yell. It was as if God was there himself, but Cess' vision was flooded with the blood from her battle that she could not tell who it was. She could recognize the voice though, but she wasn't certain.  
  
The voice has brought attention to Kai. He turned around and raised an eyebrow at the sight of a man dressed in red, wearing round glasses. "I see," he said, realizing who it was. "You're here to rescue her and then once you're done with me, you're going to bring Lulu back."  
  
"That's exactly what I'm going to do!" Auron spoke, threatening him with a point of his large sword from its sheath. Auron stepped forward, glancing at the horrible shape Cess was now in. He had beaten Cess really good and this made him ache. "What have you done to her?!"  
  
Kai glanced at the woman and smirked. "I did some controlling on the girl. She really is a stubborn woman."  
  
Auron gritted his teeth in frustration, grasping his hand tightly around the handle of his sword. "You really think you can just hit anyone you please without even saying sorry?"  
  
"Well... maybe just a little," Kai spoke. He jerked his hand towards him, casting Thundaga on the man. Auron dodged the attack, then got up quickly and charged at him. Kai did not have time to react as the tall man swiped his large sword at his arm, leaving a gash on his arm. Kai stumbled back, crying in pain at the damage left by Auron. Kai looked at him, his pupils narrowing in annoyance. Kai cast shield on himself and protect, surprised at how fast the man was along with his large sword. "You know, you swordsmen really annoy the hell out of me. Thanks to you, you really ruined my happy day! I just bedded the woman I have always wanted and now this!"  
  
Bedded? Auron paused, his eyes glowing in astonishment. Did he just say what he thought he heard? "What did you do to Lulu?!'  
  
Kai smirked. "I'm sorry to say that Lulu is mine now. She and I have joined souls together and there is nothing you can do about it! Hah! Hah! Hah!" He raised both his hands and cast Waterga towards Auron. The same blue attack that failed to kill Cess surrounded Auron. With his thoughts on Lulu and Kai together, Auron did not have time to react in order for him to escape his attack. Kai watched as the blue wall shrunk in size, ready to drown anyone who was trapped in it.   
  
"Ice!" a feminine voice spoke.  
  
Kai furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He glanced at Cess, who seemed to be half dead, so the voice he heard could not have come from her. But who? He glanced behind him and noticed Lulu, dressed now in her usual black attire standing there, her eyes as cold as ever. "Lulu! Stop! You're going to destroy my Waterga!"  
  
Lulu said nothing. The blue water that surrounded Auron froze from Lulu's ice attack, stopping it from shrinking. Auron looked up and noticed Lulu standing there; with the same, cold look she usually wore on her face. He brandished his sword high over his hand and broke the ice dome around him. The wall broke in pieces on the floor. Kai jerked his head at Auron and hissed. "Grrr! You're going to pay for that!"  
  
Auron ran towards him, keeping his sword high in the air. He ran faster and before Kai could react, he gave another gash across his stomach. Kai looked at him in disbelief. Blood poured from his gut and Kai landed on his knees on the floor. Auron watched his whole body fall to the ground, until he no longer moved. He ran quickly to Cess, who, in his relief was still alive and looked up as Lulu made her way towards them.   
  
"Is she all right?" Lulu asked quietly.  
  
Auron nodded. "She'll be fine. How are you?"  
  
Lulu looked away and said nothing. She would rather not talk about it.  
  
"You're not going anywhere! I am not letting anyone else have you!" Auron jerked his head at Kai, who was already up in his knees, lifting up two small daggers in his hands and flung them towards Lulu. Auron ran towards her, the daggers just a few inches ahead of him. With his speed, he wrapped his arms around Lulu and they both fell began to fall. It took Auron and Lulu a couple of seconds until they realized that they were floating on air, falling out of the mountain and into somewhere. Auron wrapped his arms tightly around Lulu and everything else after that was darkness.   
  
The last thing he heard was Lulu screaming at the top of her lungs.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Uh-oh! What has the two gotten themselves into now? Well, sorry for the long wait everyone. I was jut waiting for more ideas that's all! ^_^; Anywayz, see ya next time on...da da da! The next, When the Night Fades chapter! 


	5. A Raped Heart

Note: Hi all! Sorry for making you wait again! ^_^. Okay, I know how you all must feel when I made Kai rape Lulu, but it's all part of a story, I mean something has got to happen to Lulu in order for her to be close to Auron and stuff. I mean, it's obvious now that Lulu is still hung up over Chappu after many years, while Auron is contemplating about his feelings for the woman and with Cess back in his life, he's not sure right now... Well, I hope you are all enjoying yourselves so far by reading this! Hope to hear more from you! ^_^  
  
  
Chapter 5 - A Raped Heart   
  
  
  
The water hit them like it was the hard ground itself. Auron held his arms tightly around Lulu so he wouldn't lose her during the fall and when they hit the cold, clear lake, he forced himself under the woman so he could take the hit instead of Lulu. He landed on his back with a splash. The current washed them like rag dolls and Auron, with an arm securely around an unconscious Lulu, swam to shore quickly. With Lulu and the weight of his large and heavy sword with him, it was even more difficult to process as he swam against the current. He was relieved when they finally made it at a riverbank. He pulled Lulu with him as he crawled out of the water and pushed her further with all his might safely and crawled beside her. Her eyes were closed and to his shock, she was not breathing. Auron leaned his head against her chest to hear any breathing, but there was none and his fear grew worse. So, he did the second best thing he could do. He removed his black gloves from both his hands and placed both palms on her chest and began to pump air into her lungs, counting at least a few pumps, until he pressed his lips against hers and breathed air for her. However, his effort was to no avail. He couldn't see her chest moving up and down.  
  
"Damn it, Lulu! You can't die on me!" He repeated the attempts of resuscitating her, but Lulu did not respond. Auron continued to do so, however, despite the lack of life in Lulu and after a few more minutes, even after Auron was certain she was dead, it was as if the heavens had seen him struggle did Lulu came back to life. She was coughing up water from her lungs. Auron sighed a breath of relief. "Thank God," he whispered, helping her sit up.   
  
Lulu opened her eyes slowly and looked around wearily. "Where...? Where are we?" She noticed Auron's face close to her, so she backed away a few inches. "Sir Auron? Where...where are we?"  
  
Auron did not notice the way Lulu was acting to his closeness to her just a few seconds ago, instead he stood up, looked to where they had landed earlier and frowned. "We have to go find the others." He turned around to face her. "Are you all right?"  
  
Lulu nodded. "I'm fine." She coughed up more water from her lungs as she stood up slowly. Auron walked up to her, but Lulu's instinct just told her to back away from him. However, a pain in her ankle shortened her attempt as she fell on the ground on her knees.  
  
Worriedly, Auron approached her quickly, kneeling beside her. "Lulu! Are you all right? What happened?" He placed a hand on her shoulder, but Lulu shook it off, the thought of another man touching her, making her feel like a whore.  
  
Lulu winced, dragging her knees back to get away from Auron's touch and turned away from him. "I am fine. I can manage on my own. Let's go find the others." She got up calmly and began walking away from him, towards the dark shadows of the forest nearby. She was limping when she started walking, but she wasn't about to let Auron carry her. With his touch, all she wants to do is get away from. She didn't need a man. She didn't want a man touching her.   
  
"You don't seem fine to me, Lulu," she heard Auron speak from behind. His voice just brought chills down her spine. Did she look like she needed help? She had to admit, she needed Auron's support, but why need a man? She didn't need one! She felt a large hand on her shoulder. On impulse, Lulu turned, lifting a hand up towards Auron and was surprised when her hand made contact with Auron's face. Auron jumped back in surprise, shocked by her reaction and furrowed his eyebrows curiously. "I apologize for invading your space, but I thought you needed help with your ankle."  
  
Lulu stopped walking, unable to look Auron right in the face. What should she tell him now? Should she tell him right now that she was a whore? Should she tell him that she was vulnerable to stop Kai from doing what he did? Will Auron think of her as a whore, instead of a part of their group or a friend? In all honesty, she didn't want to lose Auron's friendship. "I apologize for that, Sir Auron. That was uncalled for."  
  
Auron shook his head, adjusting his sword on its sheath. "No need to apologize. What you did was understandable. He must have done something to you that might have caused you to act this way." He clenched his fists secretly for mentioning that to her. He knew what that bastard did to her, he could tell by the way Lulu was reacting to his touch. Even a friendly touch was a disease to her. "Lulu, did he do what I think he did?"  
  
Lulu did not answer.  
  
Auron knew it was not his place to intrude, but she had to tell someone, even if it meant telling the only person she barely knew. Taking a deep breath, he stepped closer towards her and held out his hand. "Trust me, Lulu, I won't do anything to hurt you. The man is dead and you're safe. It won't be long until we go home and be with the others that you can finally rest. Right now, you need help with your ankle. You and I both know it's dangerous for you to walk alone, while limping."  
  
Lulu looked at his hand, so bare and calloused from previous battles and hesitated for a moment. "No...I can't... It's not you, Auron it's..." She looked up, surprised at how beautiful his eyes were without his dark, round glasses always concealing them. She glanced at his hands where his glasses were, its frames broken and sighed, pursing her lips closed to end her sentence.  
  
"I know." He took a deep breath, looking down on the ground shamefully. He was fully aware that she was uncomfortable around him. Most of the time she was. They barely talked, they barely made eye contact and this was the first time they have ever done so. "At least let me help you. Didn't Tidus always say, we're all a team here?" Auron turned around and kneeled down on the ground, his back facing Lulu and glanced over his shoulder. "Teammates always look out for each other, so I'm going to look out for you. Climb on my back."  
  
Lulu hesitated for a moment. She knew Auron meant no harm. She knew that it was Kai's fault this happened to her, not his, or any of her friends. Auron was trying to be helpful and she can trust him. She took a step forward; her arms shaking from her soaked clothes and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. Auron, with barely any effort, lifted her up off the ground and curled his arms around her legs, then adjusted her on his back. He could feel her soaked body against his back, but Auron chose to ignore that as they began their trek into the woods.  
  
  
  
  
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They had made it as far as where Kai lying dead on the ground, blood seeping from his dead body. Tidus and Yuna ran to aid an injured Cess with her back against the cold, concrete wall, while Wakka removed all the debris that had fallen from the building out of their way and went to check out Kai's body, to make sure he was dead.   
  
"Hey, where's Auron and Lulu?" was the first thing Rikku said when she joined the others up at the top.   
  
"Damn that Auron! He should have waited for us!" Wakka spoke, checking Kai's pulse. "Well, this man is sure dead, ya? Check out the blood coming out of his body, I'd say he is dead for sure."  
  
Rikku looked at him. "You don't say," she replied, planting her hands on her hips.  
  
"Cess! Where are they?" Tidus lightly tapped Cess' almost unconscious mind and waited for her until her eyes were opened ever so slightly.   
  
"They fell..." she whispered.  
  
"What do you mean they fell?" Tidus asked, looking around for any sign of the two who disappeared.  
  
Cess got up slowly, using her arms as a lever and looked around. Yuna helped her up slightly, putting an arm around her back to support her and waited for her to answer. "I saw everything. Kai was about to kill Lulu with a dagger, but Auron pushed her out of the way and they ended up falling off the cliff."  
  
Yuna's eyes glowed in fear. "No! They can't be... are they?" She glanced at Tidus, hoping to get a good answer from him. Thankfully, he shook his head.  
  
"It's impossible for those two to be killed easily. Auron and Lulu are both strong people. I'm sure they would have found a way to survive."  
  
"Yeah! There's a river down below. They could have fallen in without getting hurt. I mean the water probably broke their fall," Rikku spoke, looking at her friends. Tidus and Yuna breathed a sigh of relief. Rikku can be very naïve, but she can be very smart and serious when it comes to serious situations.  
  
Tidus nodded. "Then, that's what we'll do. First, we need to take Cess back to the airship to get healed and then we'll look for them."  
  
"I'm fine, really," Cess spoke, attempting to get up. However, the wound on the side of her stomach made her fall back down. Wakka approached her slowly and picked her up in his arms, without any effort.   
  
"Yes, you do look fine, ya?" Wakka spoke, with a sarcasm in his voice.  
  
"Let's go," Tidus announced, before walking ahead of everyone.  
  
  
  
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It wasn't long until they found a cave, hidden behind thick berry bushes. The cave looked old, but sturdy and safe enough for them to stay for a while and get healed. Auron winced as the pain in the shoulder pinched him harder this time. His weak shoulder was making Lulu feel heavier by the minute. He could feel her warm breath against his neck, one that was fading slightly away. Auron knew Lulu had fallen asleep at that point.  
  
Just a few more steps, he thought. The air around them felt fresh and the quietness of the forest added to the aroma of calmness that Auron has wished for in a long time. He was used to big cities and noisy people, but the things he was hearing now, felt like paradise. But, he had to think away from the dream and get back into the real world, because the real world, there were creatures lurking about, ready to devour them with their large predatory teeth.   
  
After a few seconds, they finally made it to their destination. A snap from a twig that Auron accidentally stepped on awoke Lulu from her sleep. Being a swordsman brought up a skill of being quiet while walking in order to infiltrate the enemy from behind, that's why Lulu did not wake up for hours as he trekked through the forest, but one false move, the enemy would slowly find him there, just as Lulu had done.   
  
Lulu rubbed her eyes with one hand and looked up tiredly. She realized that she had fallen asleep, her head resting on Auron's back. A hint of crimson colored her porcelain cheeks, but she quickly shook it away with a shake of her head. "Are we here?" she spoke, as she was carried inside a dark cave.  
  
Auron glanced slightly towards her and nodded. Without answering the obvious question, he slowly laid her down on a sandy floor, beside a bon fire that was evident of someone's presence before. Lulu sat up, resting her back against a cold, stonewall behind her and looked up at Auron, who seemed to be struggling with something. She looked at him curiously.  
  
"Sir Auron? Is something the matter?"  
  
Auron shook his head slowly, not wanting to show Lulu how weak he was, but his legs gave way, adding to the pain on his shoulder, forcing him to land on his butt on the floor with a loud 'thud!' Auron closed his eyes tight, feeling the same pain getting through his body. Lulu's eyes widened. She quickly crawled to his side, placing a reluctant hand on his shoulder and looked at him worriedly. Auron stepped away from her slowly and shook his head once again. "I am fine. You need help."  
  
Without hesitating this time, Lulu quickly removed his red coat, putting it behind his back and winced at the large gash across his shoulder bone. A small piece of metal that seemed like it belonged to a knife of some sort was stuck on it, making the bleeding even worse. "It looks like you need help more than me," she spoke, removing the coat fully, revealing a full bodied Auron, wearing a white tank to conceal his chest, which was contradictory, since his chest was still showing. Lulu tried not to think too much about his chest and focused on the wound. She had no idea how to heal this kind of thing. Only Yuna knew how, since she had most of the healing magic with her. Compared to Yuna, she was a black mage, with offensive magic, instead of defensive ones. Sighing, the only thing she could think of was pull the metal out and conceal the wound with some kind of fabric. She looked up at him with expressionless eyes and nodded. "Okay, this will hurt, but it is for the better."  
  
Auron nodded. "Don't worry, I'm used to pain." He has to be strong for the both of them.  
  
Lulu nodded and with one quick move, without hesitation at all, pulled the metal from his shoulder, forcing a short cry from the man and threw the piece aside somewhere behind her. She quickly ripped a part of her skirt of her dress and wrapped the fabric around his shoulder fast, so the bleeding would stop and stood aside. Auron had his eyes closed as Lulu noticed. Pulling out the metal was a bad idea. It was painful than it looked. Why did he have to act so tough? She thought.   
  
Auron pursed his lips together, chanting to himself about not thinking about the pain. He took quick breaths and calmed down after a while, not realizing that Lulu was watching him all this time. He opened his eyes and found her staring, despite the darkness. She must have thought he couldn't see her, but he could see her quite clearly. Lulu was in tears. Alarmed, Auron took a step forward, but Lulu just backed away for a minute.  
  
"Why did you have to do that, Sir Auron? Why do you think I deserve to live?" She wrapped her arms around herself. "If you hadn't taken the knife for me, then you wouldn't be hurt. Why does everyone have to risk their lives?"  
  
"I couldn't let you die, Lulu. You mean a lot to Yuna and to everyone," Auron replied, quietly, stepping away from her. He knew she needed space for now. He placed a hand on his shoulder, the soft fabric of Lulu's dress made him think less of the pain. "I know she would have been devastated if you died."  
  
"Dying makes more sense than living," Lulu spoke. "I would rather die than live in this pitiful world that we call Earth."  
  
Auron looked up. "Why? You have so much to live for. I mean I..." He paused. He couldn't tell her that he was already dead. "Living is better than dying. Living your life is the most important thing, especially if it means making others happy. That is what's important."  
  
Lulu turned away. "I feel like such a whore."  
  
"You're not a whore, Lulu. That bastard made you think like this. You know you want to live. He took away everything from you, but why should you run away from it? It would make him think how he owns you now even after he's dead. If you just want to die and let it go away, believe me, it can never go away. The pain can never leave you, even in death."  
  
Lulu looked back at him. She thought for a moment, thinking about what Auron said. He was right after all, but he doesn't understand what she had to go through. He doesn't understand that her parents were abusive to her and that Chappu died and that being raped felt like someone ripped her heart out. He has never experienced that kind of pain and that kind of anguish that will forever haunt her while she was still living. She laid her back down against the wall and said nothing.  
  
Auron closed his lips. He knew what she was thinking. They were too much alike. He knows that he will never understand her pain, her anguish and he will never understand everything about her past, about her childhood and about her love for Chappu, but there was one thing he knew about her. He knew that she could change. She could survive the world of pain and anguish, like he had, even after he died.  
  
The moon glowed through the large door, creating a light and a shadow on Lulu. Auron watched her form, her eyes searching his. They were looking at each other, thinking of the others' thoughts. He looked at her intensely, as if telling her something that only she understood. 'You and I can survive this together,' he thought.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Awwwww, I think I did a great job on the last part. Hee hee! Uh oh, what happens now? Will the others ever find Auron and Lulu? Will Auron be able to heal Lulu's raped heart? Will Auron survive the wound on his shoulder? Find on the next chapter! ^_^ 


	6. Danger After Another

Note: Uggh, sorry for the long wait everyone. I'm planning on finishing this fic soon so don't worry ^_^. Anywayz, whatever happened between Lulu and Auron? Curious? Well, you're going to find out here soon enough!   
  
  
  
Chapter 6 - Danger After Another  
  
She woke up with an aching back, but then again, she didn't need to complain, since she knew that her bed was made of granite and gravel. Lulu opened her eyes slowly, greeted by the lovely sun kissing her face with its warmth. She looked around, wearily. For one whole day, all she has ever done was sleep, while Auron did the hunting and the cooking. No matter how many times she told him he shouldn't do it anymore, because of his injured shoulder, he would just shrug it off and go out anyway. She couldn't do anything about it. After all, she wasn't his wife. She heard a slight moan from somewhere, so she averted her eyes to find Auron sitting on a small, flat rock, carefully dabbing a stick with its end burning with fire on his wound. Lulu watched him for a while, without him knowing, dabbing that same stick to get the infection out and when he was done, he bent down slowly to pick up the fresh new bandage from the floor and began wrapping it around his shoulder. He had trouble just wrapping it around himself with one arm and after a couple more tries, Lulu couldn't take it anymore. Auron was getting frustrated, something she hasn't seen on his face and he was getting impatient with the stubborn bandage always falling off when he almost had it. Getting up from her pathetic bed, Lulu walked over to him. Auron looked up by the sound of shuffling feet and noticed Lulu coming towards him, startled by her presence. Without a word, she kneeled down beside him, her long, dark, raven, unwashed hair falling to her eyes, with an almost eerie look. Her clothes, Auron noticed were tattered and torn and the fur that went around her shoulders, almost making her look naked, were full of muck and dirt. Her pins were no longer holding up the long stretch of hair that almost reached her ankles. The hundreds of belts that went around the skirt part of her dress were all gone, although leaving only one at least, one that went around her waist. The end of her skirt was worn out, leaving ripped edges that went zig zag around her legs. Although he couldn't see it, Auron could tell that the river they fell into had washed most of her dark make up off, revealing a pale, young woman with baggy eyes. Her lips did no look full as he thought they were, it looked as though it was drawn on by a thin, black pencil. The only thing that made her look the same, were her dark, soulful and expressionless eyes, that were focusing on the bandage as she did her work.   
  
Calmly, Lulu began wrapping the bandage around his shoulder, careful not to touch his bare and wounded shoulder with her cold hands.   
  
Auron turned away, putting his eyes towards the sun that was setting beyond the horizon.   
  
Both were silent for a moment, until Lulu finally had the courage to speak up. She couldn't take the silence anymore. It was too much for her to bare. They shouldn't be awkward around each other. After all, they were both guardians, ones that were hired to protect the young Summoner through her journey to become a Summoner. They should both set an example to Yuna that there are no awkwardness between her Guardians. "Sir Auron, I just want to say thank you so much for everything." She waited until she noticed him turning around. Lulu made a neat knot of both ends of the bandage that ended up by his armpits. She repeated the process again to make sure it wouldn't fall out this time.   
  
Auron turned his head back towards her, confused. "Thank me? For what?"   
  
Lulu took a deep breath, one that was not of impatience, but of relief that they were talking again. She wanted to talk of something else other than whatever happened to her. She wanted to remind herself that nothing bad happened to her.  
  
"Why should you thank me? I couldn't save you from that bastard, Lulu, I'm sorry," Auron spoke.   
  
Lulu winced. So much for THAT. She said nothing. She finished the last round and tied the knots finally, then sulked further back on her knees and slouched her shoulders. She turned her head away from him, wishing he hadn't said that. "Why did you have to mention THAT?"  
  
Auron pursed his lips together. He knew he shouldn't have said anything, but why does she even have to run away from it? She should resolve her problems and not run away from it. She should tell him about her feelings about it. She should...he wants her to. "Lulu, if that guy was alive right now, I could have easily killed him myself with my bare hands."  
  
Lulu said nothing. She got up and sat back down on her spot on the rock. She didn't what to think about what he said. She would have killed him herself, but she was weak and defenseless by her foolish morals of forgiving him and her feelings of friendship towards the man she knew as a sweet boy she grew up with in her childhood. If she explained that to Auron, what would he say? It was easy to guess, really. He would say how weak and pathetic she was of letting Kai do what he did to her without her giving much strenght to resist his advances. Because of her 'ties' with the man, she held a lack of strenght in her body to push him away from her.   
  
"I was weak," she retorted, after a couple of minutes of silence.   
  
"Of course you were. He was stronger than you were and-"  
  
Lulu slammed her hands down on her lap hard, startling Auron. "You don't get it Auron! He and I were in the same level of Black Magic. It would have been easier for me to kill him at that moment, but do you even wonder why I never killed him then?"  
  
Auron was about to say something, when Lulu continued. "I WAS ENGAGED TO HIM!" Those words took a lot of strenght from her. Lulu took quiet deep breaths, her chest moving up and down with so much emotion, that her heart was ready to burst. She wanted to cry, wanted to slam her hands over and over again against Auron's chest to show that she meant what she said about her and Kai. She wanted to hit her head so hard against the rock wall behind her to tell herself how stupid she was for not refusing to marry Kai in the first place. If she could go back in time, she would have, but she couldn't do that. Time was against her. She looked up, wondering what Auron thought about this. She harbored no feelings for this man, whatsoever, but at that point, when Auron got up calmly, without a word, wrapping his arms around her small body, she wished she did. Lulu couldn't take it anymore. She collapsed in his arms quickly than she had thought and wept as hard as she wanted, listening to Auron's soft, deep voice soothing her. She felt his hand rubbing her back as she continued weeping.   
  
He held her tighter, wishing this moment could last forever, but he shouldn't think that. He shouldn't take advantage of a woman who was falling apart right in front of his eyes. He felt her shiver against him- a sign that she needed warmth. Reaching slowly for his red coat behind him, Auron wrapped it around her shoulder carefully with all his strenght and wrapped his arms back around her, to make her warm.   
  
Lulu mumbled a soft, 'thank you,' before looking up into Auron's eyes. His eyes were no longer hidden behind thick lenses. They were revealed for everyone to see, but for now, this revelation was for her and for her alone. His eyes were the deepest green she has ever seen and she could see the kindness and the compassion in them. She sniffed her worries away, forgetting everything about what had happened and looked deeply into his eyes. "You have nice eyes," she spoke, lost in them.  
  
Auron just stared at her. His mouth grew firm and serious. Lulu furrowed her eyebrows curioously. "Auron? What is it-?" Her sentence was held when Auron pressed a finger over her lips, stopping her from speaking.   
  
He looked at her. "Something's approaching..." Auron turned around, releasing his embrace from Lulu and grabbed his sword quickly laying on the floor. He could feel the ground rumbling, as if the world itself was shaking and could hear a snort coming from outside. The monster sounded big...and hungry. He glanced behind him at Lulu, who was preparing to fight with her magic. She wasn't sure if her magic was at its full power, but it couldn't hurt to try. "Looks like we have company."  
  
Lulu nodded without saying a word as she watched Auron step outside. She could see a shadow looming ahead of him- a large one at that. "It must have followed our trail of blood from the river to here."  
  
Auron nodded, keeping his eyes outside. The monster was approaching quickly. He gripped his hand tightly around his sword and took another quiet step. "It looks like it. And it sounds hungry...VERY hungry. Lulu, get ready to slap him with one of your ice spells when you see him through that door and I'll take his head off."  
  
Lulu ignored the detailed words Auron said and nodded. Yes, she'd seen Auron fight monsters and she'd seen him cut their heads with his sword, but she has never seen him talk like THAT before. Usually, Auron would shut up about it and just fight without hesitating.  
  
The monster took another step...   
  
...then another.  
  
The ground shook every step it took and Lulu, with her mind concentrated on her powers, prepared for battle. Auron approached it ever so slowly, simultaneously taking a step with the monster in order to drown out the noise from his own footsteps.   
  
Another step...  
  
Lulu felt like her heart is about to jump out of her skin and into the monster's dinner plate. Why was she so scared all of a sudden? She's fought monsters as big as this one! Why is she scared now? Maybe she knows she can never fight it this time, now that her soul was bleeding with despair. She usually fought with confidence and calmness surrounding her and alongside people she knew and loved. Right now, it was just her and Auron, protecting each other and fighting to survive.   
  
Danger...  
  
One after another...  
  
What more can they possibly need?  
  
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She woke up with a start. Her eyes searched the room with curiosity, her mind still unaware of the fact that she was taken in by Auron's friends and treated for injuries. It took her a couple of minutes, until she realized that and as she sat up from bed, she winced when a pain in her side caught her by surprise. There was a clean bandage around her torso, one clean one that was wrapped around neatly. She could tell it was the work of a woman, by the looks of the neatness of it all. When a man wrapped a bandage around a naked woman's torso, their hands usually start to shake nervously at the sight.   
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Cess waited as the doorknob twisted and the door slowly opened to reveal that same young woman who was talking to Auron earlier. She was dressed in almost a cloth of some kind wrapped around her body, attached to a long, white skirt, with no sleeves, but only a flowing one that was stitched from her elbows to her knuckles. She wore brown, comfortable shoes and one piece of thick strand, that was longer than the other parts of her tresses, was braided and it rested on her right shoulder perfectly. Her short, brown hair reached upto her shoulders and her eyes, very rare ones at that, were both blue and green. Her right eye was green, while her left was blue. She looked to be around seventeen, but the look of her baby face. She was carrying a tray with odd looking food on it that Cess couldn't quite tell what it was.   
  
"I'm glad you're awake," she spoke softly, setting the tray down on a table at the far wall to Cess' left. "I brought you food, just in case you were hungry."  
  
Cess attempted to sit up again, but the pain only brought her back down on the bed.   
  
Yuna turned and noticed the woman trying to get up. She shook her head and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You shouldn't get up. You had a very large gash on the side of your body and another one at the back. You need to rest in order for you to regain strenght."  
  
"Who are you?" Cess whispered. She never met someone like her before, though she reminded her of someone.  
  
"My name is Yuna Reska, a friend of Auron's."  
  
"Reska...Reska..." Cess chanted. She heard of that name before. No it can't be! The woman looked up and furrowed her eyebrows curiously. Yuna...she's Braska's daughter? "You're...you have the same last name as Braska."  
  
Yuna nodded. "He was my father."  
  
"Was?" Cess noticed Yuna removed her eyes away from her, so she shook the question away and looked down. "Oh," was all she said when she realized what the girl meant.  
  
Yuna looked back up, her sadness now replaced with a smile. "Hey, you should eat first." She got up and fetched the bowl of soup from the tray, then went back to her spot on the bed and handed the soup to her. "Here, this is a special Al Bhed soup made by a friend of ours."  
  
Cess looked down at the soup offered to her. It looked green, almost the color of the swamps in the Besaid Marshes and it had dark green pulp swimming around it. Also floating inside were large chunks of 'things,' maybe meat eyeing her and when she remembered something that she had to do, she looked up and shook her head. What was she thinking, wanting to eat right now while Kai was still alive? "No. I must go back to where Kai is and kill him!"  
  
Yuna looked at her curiously. "What are you talking about? Kai's dead. We saw his body there."  
  
The woman frowned, using her arms as lever and looked closely at her. "He's not dead, Yuna. Only another Black Mage can easily kill him or my special magic I have with me can. No sword or fists can beat this man. He's a Black Mage, engaged to a Black Mage and when he is, he will stop at nothing to claim his prize."  
  
The girl's eyes widened, realization kicking in. "Wait a minute... what are you talking about 'engaged?' He was after Lulu. Are you telling me that..."  
  
Cess nodded. "When they were children, with the information I was given, they grew up together. In Black Mage law, when a boy and a girl are good friends, they quickly become engaged, with the support of the parents."  
  
"Oh..." Yuna spoke. She got up and put the bowl back on its tray, then stood there staring at the wall, her back to Cess. "I...I'm quite confused really..." She turned around to face Cess again, but by the time she did, the woman was already gone, leaving the door open. Yuna ran out the door, hoping she was still there, but once she was out of the room, there was no sign of her.  
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Cess ran as fast as she could through the woods, clutching at her injured side. She had to get back to that same place where he was found 'dead' and stop him before he wakes up. "Dammit!" she swore under her gritted teeth. She couldn't risk letting him go like that. She has to make sure he's dead or hell will break lose again. Her mind went back to Auron. "Auron, I hope you're not injured, because he's coming for you," she said to herself. She pushed a branch out of her way and ran faster through the bushes. There was no time to think things, she had to get there fast!  
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His shoulders hit the ground hard. Auron cried out in pain and looked up as the monster lifted up its large legs and hovered it over him, ready to crush him with its large feet. Weakly, he quickly rolled to one side, avoiding the monster's attack and grabbed his sword that fell on the ground beside him. Lulu was firing as many ice spells as she could, damaging only little to the Cerberus. It kept its attention on Auron, seeing how tasty Auron was than Lulu. It extracted its claws and aimed right at Auron's head, but the man just dodged that as easily and got up quickly, slashing his sword as the Cerberus once again attacked with its claws. It cried out in pain when his sword made contact with its hand and it jumped back in alarm.   
  
Lulu closed her eyes, chanting another ice spell its way. The monster quickly gave up on its snack and decided to go after Lulu. It roared as loud as it could and charged towards the unsuspecting Black Mage. Auron looked up, aware of the whole situation and ran towards the charging monster.   
  
"Lulu, watch out!" he yelled, running faster this time.   
  
The Black Mage looked up, noticing the monster coming right at her. She was neither shaking in her knees, nor gulping nervously. Lulu seemed calm. She closed her eyes again and continued to chant.   
  
Suddenly, a blinding light engulfed the woman. Auron stopped and watched as the light grew brighter. The monster, though how blinding the light was, continued on forward and when Lulu felt it was close enough, she opened her eyes and opened her mouth to say, "METEOR!" She pressed her palms towards the sky and waited until she saw a red light surrounding her, her face towards the heavens. She looked back at the monster and smirked.   
  
Cerberus was unaware of the risk it was taking as it continued to charge at her.  
  
The red light grew darker, almost a black color and when it was enough, Lulu jerked her palms towards the direction of the monster and fired Meteor right at Cerberus. Auron moved out of the way quickly, watching in awe and amazement as Meteor blasted through the large monster. Cerberus roared in pain as its skin began to melt from the heat. Auron could hear the searing heat of Meteor, the power cutting through Cerberus like it was nothing. A large blast surprised both him and Lulu as he ran to her side, watching the scene unfold before them. Meteor blew up right in front of them, taking Cerberus' soul along with it.  
  
Then... all was silent.  
  
Lulu breathed a sigh of relief. She dropped on her knees and tiredly closed her eyes. Before she could stop herself, she collapsed on the ground with a loud, 'thud!' Auron quickly ran to her and checked her pulse. Luckily, she was alive. She had given so much power that her body could not handle that much pressure. She was a Black Mage yes, but Black Mages had their limits. He grabbed his sword from his side and slowly, he picked her up in his arms and carried her away. Not back to the cave, but back to the depths of the forest.   
  
"We have to go find a village somewhere before more of them come for us," he spoke, mainly to himself. He walked into the darkness and they disappeared quickly than the Cerberus had. It would be days or even weeks before they could find a village in a secluded forest like this, Auron thought, walking through a puddle. Normally, he would care if his pants were dirty, but at this point, he didn't. If they don't get out of the forest soon, they will end up being the preys for many of the Cerberus' in the forest or be wasted by the Rangers who roam the forest, waitin for a 'catch.' Lulu would be in more danger than he was if she was all alone here. He curses those who would dare touch her again like HE had! "Don't worry, Lulu," he whispered in her ear. "I'll get you out of here soon enough."  
GoodGurl: Yah yah good? Yah?! LOL Anywayz, hope you like this chapter! See ya! 


	7. Back to the past Presia

Note: Hi everyone! Wow, thanks for all your reviews! You guys are the best! You guys are the reason I'm motivated to write longer and more better chapters! I hope I hear from all of you until the end of this story! ;) Note: K, remember the first chapter how I said Auron met Lulu when she was twelve? Well, scratch that and everything else when Lulu was twelve and how she went to Besaid. I just don't feel like writing it all over again u know? Anywayz, just stick to Lulu's past from now and get the other ones out of your mind. K? Good! Well, enjoy this story!  
  
Chapter 7 - Back to the past... Presia   
  
They were young. They grew up in the same town, knew the same people and basically had the same family. But they knew they were different the moment they met. They had their difference in interests and as they grew up, their interests changed after another, clashing with each other. Their parents didn't know that. All they cared about was keeping them together so it wouldn't ruin their reputation in living in the village. He was, after all, the son of the Village Mayor who paid for their bills, who let them live in a house for free and basically took care of her family. They didn't have to pay for anything, except for one thing. She would have to marry him. Her best friend, her companion, the one who held her while she cried when she fell and hurt herself. She was too young to understand anything about marriage, so her parents took that advantage. She was ashamed of them and of herself for being naive about the whole thing. She was ashamed that her own parents would let her marry someone she just knew as a good friend and nothing more. Even though she was really young, at the innocent age of seven, she refused to marry her best friend, who was like a brother to her. However, her parents signed the papers to show they were engaged anyway when she turned sixteen. Without her knowing, Lulu became a wife in Kai's eyes. His father diseased him the thought that she was going to be his wife from now on...that he would have to stick by her and be her lover from the day they died. Lulu had no idea that Kai felt this way and she believed that Kai was just her best friend, while Kai thought of the opposite. They fought together in battles to begin their training as Black Mages and when the training was over, when they were ready to take on challenges, they were suddenly separated by the laws of the Black Mages. Kai was more devastated by their separation from one another. Lulu was ready for it, unaware that Kai was heart broken about it. She left without a word and moved on with her life in Besaid, while Kai was still fawning over her back home, where she grew up and where she was secretly beaten by her father. That's another reason why she desperately wanted to leave. She didn't mean to leave Kai. She dearly loved Kai as a brother. Why couldn't he understand that?   
  
Lulu opened her eyes and found herself on the ground. Lifting up a hand to touch her head that hurt like hell, she looked up to where Auron sat, on a dirty log, making fire. How many times has she collapsed? Twice now? Maybe three times? Who knows... they had to get out of here.   
  
"I'm glad you're awake," Auron spoke, looking up, as she sat up from the ground. Lulu stood up slowly and walked over to him. Night time had already greeted them with the moon's light. Perfect timing. Night time was her best friend. Night time made her worries wither away. She couldn't understand why, but that was how she was. When the night fades, the sun would come up and reveal her true self. Darkness wouldn't do that. She would rather hide in the shadows from the pain she endured all her life than step into the sunlight and reveal all her emotional scars and bruises.   
  
"What happened to me?" she asked, sitting down beside him. She had gotten more comfortable sitting beside Auron ever since that incident happened. She chooses to forget everything about what happened. The hole in her heart would continue to rust away if she thought about it over and over again.   
  
Auron threw a small piece of wood in the burning fire he made. "You really destroyed that Cerberus back there. I'm impressed. With all that power you inflicted on him, I can only imagine how much energy it drained you."  
  
His words made her understand, so she nodded agreeably. "I see," she replied. She turned her head towards the fire and stared at it, her mind moving back to her childhood. She could still feel her father's fists making contact with her body and her eyes, her face, her mouth, her nose, everything delicate that she kept hidden in the darkness. Ever since Kai came back, all these memories kept coming back to her, haunting her every time she woke up. It would sometimes wake her up like a nightmare or like a dream. She wanted to think of those happy years she stayed in Presia, but HIS face kept snarling back at her. Kai wasn't there to protect her. Kai wasn't there to save her from him. He was never there. Her father was always there, beating her, forcing her to marry Kai so that they could keep the house for their own benefit, not for hers. Her mother was too afraid to stand up for herself- too afraid to stand up for her own daughter. Lulu chocked back tears that threatened to fall. Why did it have to be here? Why did it have to be now, when she was ready to move on to the future? Why did it have to be this time where she was ready to beat Sin, so they can all go home and live normal lives? Why did darkness have to be her only friend?   
  
"Lulu, were you ever in love with Kai?" That question surprised even himself when he finally asked her that. He turned his head towards her, afraid that Lulu might think he was crazy for asking her that, or might get the hint that he was in love with her, however, Lulu just sighed and answered his question with a straigh-forward answer.  
  
"Yes," she replied.  
  
Auron nodded, his heart sinking.  
  
"But as a sibling I never had. I never loved him as more than just a friend. We were two different people, with different interests. I can understand why he would love me so much, since his father poisoned his mind, thinking I loved him back, thinking that we should be married. My parents were too engulfed in their greed to ask me what I thought about it that they went on ahead on signing the contract to have us married. I was lucky to leave without having to be married with him, but I found out we were still engaged when I was there with him." She sighed, thinking of that night he.... He had told her that the ring she had on her finger was a sign of their engagement. He had given that to her when they were children. She always thought that the ring itself was a promise ring, not as an engagement ring. Lulu closed her eyes. She was deceived.  
  
Auron felt his heart soar. He stood up suddenly and looked up at the moon. A dark cloud hovered over the sky. Storm was coming. "We should get going if we wish to find shelter from this storm." He picked up his sword from the ground and placed it inside the sheath of his jacket, then put the fire out with the sand on the ground that he kicked with his boot. He may never see through Lulu's past and she may never see his, but one thing for certain that if they were to survive this wilderness, they will have to survive it together- no questions asked.   
  
Lulu nodded, then stood up, the dark clouds making the sky even darker than usual. She followed suit behind Auron and they began their trek once again into the woods, hoping to find shelter in a nearby village or something.  
  
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"What? She's gone?" Cid looked around at his daughter's friends, the group that volunteered to save Spira from Sin. "Uggh..." He placed a rough hand on his forehead and massaged it slowly. With all the people they had in their group, they couldn't keep one woman in the airship.   
  
"Don't be angry with all of them," Yuna spoke up. "It was my fault. I wasn't paying attention. I went to get her some soup and I turned my back on her for a moment. I'm sorry." She bowed her head in apology and looked up, waiting for Cid's reply.  
  
Cid sighed, shaking his anger away. He couldn't be angry with his niece. Yuna was most kind and generous to everyone and she was standing up for her friends. He couldn't blame her for it. "Well, I guess all we have to do is look for Lulu and Auron now."  
  
"I think we should split into two groups. One should go look for Auron and Lulu on the airship, while the others go back to that mountain and face Kai if he is alive. Yuna..." Tidus turned to face her. "We should go look for the two, while the rest of you..." He looked at Rikku, Wakka and Kimahri. "You three can face off with Kai, I know you can handle it."  
  
All three of them nodded.  
  
"No... My daughter is not facing a madman!" Cid's voice rang in the air.  
  
Rikku frowned and looked at her father. "Daddy! Come on, I can handle this! There's three of us!"  
  
Cid stubbornly shook his head. He glanced at Tidus and gave him a firm look. "I am not risking my daughter's life! She can look for Auron and Lulu as well."  
  
"Daddy! Why do you do this?!" Rikku stomped her foot like a child and stepped in front of him, staring straight into her father's eyes. "I can handle this, okay?!"  
  
The bald man shook his head again at his daughter, remembering what his wife used to say that now left Rikku's lips. "That's what your mother used to say."  
  
The blond girl frowned. How can he bring her up at this time? Why? "This has nothing to do with mom, dad! This is my life! Mom was different! She didn't know how to handle things! I do! I've been in bigger battles than she has! No matter what you say, I'm going to go!"  
  
All was silent for a moment. None said a word. All they could hear was Cid's silent, deep breath as he thought about maybe grounding his daughter, but then he remembered her words just a few seconds ago. No matter what he said, she would still go. Even if he grounds her, or keeps her locked up in a room, she would still find a way to get out. She was right. She was not like her mother. But then again, she was like her mother. Vatilla had a strong will, stubborn and always wanted her way, yet she did it out of love for her family, out of generosity to everyone and out of kindness to save the world. Unlike Rikku though, Vatilla was not as strong as her. Vatilla usually had mental break downs when she failed at certain things. Rikku was more confident about failing, more relaxed about situations instead of worrying about them so much. It was unfair to compare Rikku to her deceased mother. "All right, Rikku. Please be careful." He took another deep breath and looked at his daughter's companions. He couldn't be angry with them for turning Rikku into a more confident girl, because that's how she always was. After all, they were all strong. He'd seen them fight many battles before. He'd seen them defeat bigger monsters or stronger monsters than Kai. Kai was human after all...a Black Mage. "I guess defeating Sin will be delayed for a while."  
  
Those present in the room nodded their heads in unison. Cid ordered their pilot to head back to the Arjo Mountain Pass and land there so Rikku, Wakka and Kimahri can make their own way to the mountain where Kai was thought to be dead. They said their 'good lucks' to each other, Cid watching his daughter from the main window as the three stepped off the aircraft. The Al Bhed ship took off silently into the air as Cid continued to watch worriedly towards his daughter, who disappearead along with her two companions into the mountain pass that was covered behind bushes and tall trees that it was impossible to see from up top.   
  
"Don't you worry too much, Uncle Cid," Yuna spoke, placing a hand on her Uncle's shoulder. "If Rikku gets into any trouble, Wakka and Kimahri will be there to protect her. They are all strong fighters."  
  
Cid nodded. He knew that. He knew that Wakka and Kimahri were capable of fighting monsters on their own. "I know. Now, it's our turn for our quest. Where do you think they are, Tidus? Yuna?"  
  
Tidus thought for a moment, then glanced at Yuna. "That river they fell into was just below the mountain where Rikku and the others are. Cid!" He turned his head to the old man, but before he could say anything, Cid nodded. He seemed to know where the boy was getting at.  
  
"I gotcha, boy. There's a forest just a few kilometres from the river where they fell in. There's a river bank around Halu Forest so they must've gone in there."  
  
"Then, that's the first place we'll go to."  
  
"All right! Yeehaw! Hit it Giron!" Cid smacked the back of Giron's head, the pilot who was driving the Al Bhed Ship. The young man mumbled something in his breath, wanting so much to tell it to his leader, but closed his mouth. Cid did not like insults, so Giron just nodded and steered the handle to the right, pass the Arjo Mountain Pass and the Al Bhed ship followed the Kleimef River down to their destination- to the Halu Forest.  
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"So, do you know where we're going?" she asked, glancing beside her. She lifted up her ripped skirt and walked across the muddy ground in front of her. Her socks inside her boots were now soaked and her feet were getting cold from it. Her hair felt like it was about to fall off and her clothes were falling apart, but she didn't need to complain. She was just thankful her and Auron were able to survive this long.   
  
Auron glanced towards Lulu and shook his head. "I have no idea, but I have learned that if I walk straight, we'll eventually find a village."  
  
Lulu frowned. "Oh, that helps," she spoke, almost smiling.  
  
Behind the tall collar around his neck, Lulu could tell Auron was smiling. It was unusual for both of them to add humor to a serious situation they were in. They both must've gotten the humor and the contagious smile from Tidus. That thought made her laugh even more and when she tried to hide that laugh, it came out into some kind of sneeze. She wished she hadn't done that.  
  
Auron glanced at her. Lulu was being coy, by not looking at him, pretending that she didn't hear anything or do anything unlike her. The man laughed to himself. The cute little laugh she just did, even though she was trying to hide it, made him think how much pain Lulu must have had during her childhood. He had known her to be a woman who held no humor, just a serious frown and when he thought about her engagement with Kai when they were children, he became to understand. He could see the shield she surrounded herself with and how many people put it there. Her parents, with all the pressure they put her through, placed the first shield around her- independence. The second, was her friendship with Kai, which was ruined when she was one day forced to marry him- and with that, she became unemotional, inexpressive about her feelings and she has learned most of her life to feel nothing by hiding behind a mask. He wouldn't know anything about it, of course, because he had no family. He had no parents to confide in and the only family he turned to for comfort were his friends. His friends were his family. Braska, Jecht and yes, even Cess.   
  
They continued to walk through the woods, the mud making their shoes dirty and less attractive to their eyes, but there was no time to whine about those things. They had to get out somewhere, or eat something, or rest on a more comfortable bed before more predators find their meat on them, or before the storm kills them. Auron led the way, while Lulu took the rear, trying to catch up with him. She was weakening, Auron thought. They had to find shelter soon or they will be washed away by the storm.   
  
Suddenly, something sharp and fast sped pass him. Auron moved out of the way quickly and turned his head towards an arrow that pierced through the tree. Lulu noticed it as well. They both turned their head towards a dark haired man, around his mid fifties, holding a bow in his hand, perching on a large branch, just staring at them. "Oy! Whatcha think you doin' trespassing hee'?" He landed smoothly on the ground, took out another arrow out from behind him and placed it in his bow, then aimed it towards Auron...mostly. He glanced at Lulu once, then turned his attention back towards Auron, who seemed to think he was more of a foe than the woman.   
  
"Do you have a sign that says, 'no tresspassing?' If there was, then we would not have gone here," Lulu spoke.  
  
The man was surprised at Lulu's words. He looked at Auron and frowned. "A little bit young fer ya, doncha think?" he spoke.  
  
Auron ignored the comment. "Look, we are not here looking for a fight. We are just trying to find our way to a safe place, away from the storm that's coming up."  
  
The man stared at him for a moment and when he knew that the two were not enemies, he put his bow down and sighed, then turned around, towards the direction of a path that Auron and Lulu swear hadn't seen before. "Well, there is a storm a-comin'. It looks as though ya really need a place to stey with the condition yer both in. Follow me." He began to walk through the path. Auron and Lulu looked at each other, both hesitating for a moment, but decided to follow the man. "By da way, ta name's Clyre, Clyre Merkie," the man said, as they walked through the path.   
  
They were both lead down narrow paths, followed by deeper bushes and quiter surroundings. Before they knew it, a village appeared in front of them, pass the beautiful waterfall hidden behind taller trees. The village was small, maybe housing around thirty houses in total. Barely anyone was outside. It was just an empty place and as they followed Clyre inside, they noticed a man nailing his door shut tight with thick lumber, while another one, probably his son, shutting the windows closed and securing them tight with the same soft lumber and nails.   
  
"See hee'?" Clyre pointed to all the windows and all the doors shut by the same lumber in each household. Lulu and Auron watched curiously as another man did the same thing as the other two did from the previous house, but after he was finished, he wrapped his beautiful flowers that was growing in a small garden in front of the house with plastic. "We know der is a storm a-comin', so we shut everything using nails and lumber to keep the water out from our homes. Ya both cen stay in da Clyre Inn just ahead. That is where I live, with me wife, Mira." Clyre led them to the Inn, as they followed quietly and listened intently to Clyre's stories about the village, how there were many corrupted families living there and how there was once a girl who lived in the village, but left because of what her parents were doing to her.   
  
Lulu looked around, staring at many shops and homes that seemed familiar to her.  
  
"Tis, tis house here? They were our neighbors." Clyre pointed to a small house to his right. Auron and Lulu turned their heads on that direction and examined the house for a minute. Inside it looked cozy, but it was too quiet. They didn't see a man or a woman making an effort to seal their house tight so the storm would not blow them away.   
  
"What happened to them? It looks as though no one lives there anymore." Auron asked. He was rather curious. He was never that curious about anything. He would normally let things be as they are without finding out everything about it. But, there was something inside him that made him ask that question. He glanced at Lulu, who was looking at the house as if she's seen it before.   
  
"No one does. Ta family that once lived there became greedy with who te'were. Ta father beat their daughter almost ta death and rumor say ta girl left because of him, but ta'were other reasons as well. Ah! Hee we are!" He opened the door to the Clyre Inn and stepped inside, Auron still thinking about that house, while Lulu forgot about it as she followed Auron inside the Inn. "Mira! We have outsiders! Tey need shelter from ta storm."  
  
"Really?" a voie spoke from the back room. A petite woman with short, brown hair peeked her head out and as soon as she noticed Auron and Lulu, she approached them quickly, made her way towards them and smiled sweetly at them.  
  
"How do you do?" Lulu spoke politely.  
  
Mira looked at Lulu up and down and shook her head. "My! You are such polite young lady, yet you look terrible! Come! Come! Follow me upstairs and Mira will clean ya up!" She gently walked upstairs, followed by a reluctant Lulu. Auron watched her go and almost smiled to himself. They were lucky enough to find a nice, quiet village to stay in for a while. The two woman disappeared behind the wall and once they did, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Auron turned his head towards Clyre.  
  
"Na, let me fetch you some change of clothes and you help me shut ta doors and windows, hah?"  
  
Auron nodded. "All right." It was the least they could do for their generosity. He glanced up the stairs where Lulu and Mira disappeared to.   
  
"Don't worry, Mira will take good care of her," Clyre spoke, opening the back door. The wind was starting and the darkness already engulfed the village with its dark clouds. Auron followed Clyre out the door and closed the door behind him with all his might, the wind trying to push its way inside. He watched as the older man picked up two or three lumber from the floor that were stacked at the side of the house and handed then to Auron. He also handed Auron a bag of nails and a hammer. After that, Clyre picked up his own stuff. "All right, what we to do is to shut all ta doors and windas with these....got it? Make it like this." He placed two of the lumber across each other against the kitchen window and nailed them shut. Auron watched him carefully and followed the man's example, covering the window that looked like it led to the living room. He followed suit with the old man and when they were finished one side, they moved on to the next, one near the upstairs bedroom, where Lulu and Mira disappeared to.   
  
She looked around the room. It was a plain room, with white walls, white bed sheets with drawers and a closet, but it was bigger than her bedroom when she was a child. Lulu stared at a photo framed with a picture of a young Clyre with his arm around Mira. He had a different style of hair then, while Mira's looked like it stayed the same. She stared at the picture for a long time, staring at the couple. Another thing that reminded her of the couple she knew before. Where had she seen this picture?   
  
"Okay dear, I have drawn the bath fer ya." Mira stepped out of the bathroom and smiled as Lulu placed the picture back on top of the dresser drawer. She stood up as Mira handed her a long, green towel. She also handed Lulu a bag. The Black Mage stared at it, confused. "This is fer yer clothes. I can wash them fer ya," Mira explained.  
  
Lulu nodded, took the bag from Mira's hand and stepped inside the bathroom, closing the door behind her. When she was inside, she was surprised at how neat and tidy it was that she was afraid to touch it and ruin the moment. In front of her, just as Mira had said, was a drawn bath with foam almost rising to the top. She leaned over to touch the water and felt the warmth of the water. She sighed. Lulu couldn't wait to step inside.   
  
Slowly shedding off all her clothes, first removing her last belt, then her whole dress, she stared at the dress made for her by someone, which she couldn't remember who and grimaced at how much dirt it had. She has worn the old thing for a long time that she had forgotten how it would look like with dirt around it. Lulu placed the dress inside the bag and stood there, naked, thinking about this place, which seemed so familiar to her. She shook off the thought and stepped inside the tub slowly, feeling the warmth of the water go through her cold, tired body. When she was completely inside, she sat down and leaned her head against the wall, the soap bubbles massaging every ache in her body. This was the first time in months ever since she left Besaid to be with Yuna that she has been on a bath and just relax herself in it and get lost in its comfort. She looked beside her where a bottle of shampoo was sitting. She reached for it, squeezed some contents into her hand and began washing her hair with it, the smell of strawberry engulfing her nose. It felt like she was back in paradise, but she knew she couldn't be. She heard a hard thump against the wall. It was the men shutting the doors and the windows or just the hard wind blowing against it. Lulu had never felt so relaxed. She wished she could stay like this forever, but she knew she had a task to do. Soon, her and Auron would have to go back out into the woods, clean and refreshed and look for the others and go back to fighting Sin again. After all, it was their mission all along, to be Guardians to the young Summoner. She closed her eyes once again and imagined herself back in Besaid, back to the time they were just relaxing without the presence of Sin. Back to the time they all met and to the time they met Tidus, the love of Yuna's life. Love. Her thoughts went back to Chappu. She wanted to tell him everything about her past, about her and Kai and about her father. Everything. But now...it was too late. Chappu left her life forever. She wasn't sure if she would find love again.  
  
Auron wiped the sweat from his forehead and nailed in the last window, below the last one he just shut tight. Clyre was standing below, waiting for him to finish and when he was finally done, the two men went back inside the house, closing the door tight behind them. Mira came downstairs the moment they came inside, with a towel in one hand. She approached Auron and handed him the towel. "You can go ta the shower over there," she explained, pointing to a hallway to her right. Auron thanked her and followed her finger. "Tis at the end of the hallway," he heard Mira say. Auron followed her instructions and walked all the way to the end of the hallway and opened the last door. Upon seeing it, he was amazed at how clean it was, he was almost afraid to ruin everything Mira had worked for. But then again, why would she offer it to a stranger like him? Bathrooms were not meant to be clean all the time and to be looked at. Bathrooms were meant to be used. With that in mind, he closed the door behind him and began his process of 'cleaning.'  
After ten minutes or so, Auron was the first one to get out of the shower. There was a pair of white clothes folded neatly on top of the closed toilet. He thanked Mira for being so generous about everything, even giving him a new pair of clothes to change into. It wasn't much though, just a white, long-sleeved tunic, one that looked like it was worn by the more shorter and smaller Clyre and when he put it on, to his surprise, it fit him perfectly. The pants were a little different, it was nothing like the stretchable tunic he was wearing. It was loose near the bottom and tight near the top, but it wasn't tight enough to cut circulation. When he was done changing, he stepped out of the bathroom, taking his clothes with him, making sure everything was clean and closed the door behind him, to keep the steam inside. He was greeted by Mira who opened a plastic bag for him. Auron stared at it, confused.  
  
"Tis bag for yer clothes I can clean," she spoke, smiling.  
  
Auron nodded and put his clothes inside, even his heavy coat, which seemed too heavy for Mira as she struggled to pull the bag full of clothes inside a room two doors down. Clyre appeared a moment later after Mira disappeared and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I am a glad tat tunic and me pants fit ye perfectly!" A great big grin painted his face. The younger man couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Yes, they do. Thank you very much," Auron spoke.  
  
"Now, we go and have wine! Me best wine made by me grandfather before hee' pass away!" He led Auron back to the direction of the back room and into the living room, where a fire was lite brightly with a fire place. It was pretty small, where two chairs sat, not directly in front of the fireplace, but just a few meters away from it. In between the two chairs, was a table with a bottle of wine that said, 'Besaid Best.' Auron smiled to himself. It has been a long time since he tastes Besaid Best. It was his favorite ever since he started drinking wine on occasions. Clyre must have seen him look at it, because the older man started laughing. He patted the chair beside him and sat down. Auron nodded and sat down on the other chair. "I think ya seen Besaid Best before?"  
  
Auron nodded again. "Yes. They were mine and my two friends' favorites."  
  
"Ah," Clyre spoke, lighting the pipe that he fished out of his pocket. "So tell me boy, where ye from? Besaid?" He uncorked the bottle of wine, picked up one of the cups laying near the bottle and poured one half full, then handed it to Auron.  
  
The swordsman took it from him and replied, "Yes." He took a sip and let the taste run down his throat until it disappeard in his stomach. The taste of Besaid Best stayed the same- same good taste as he remembered. He can imagine himself back in Besaid, inside Braska's living room with a young Braska and Jecht on each side of the couch while he, at the age of twenty-one sat on a different chair, just drinking wine and just talking about their lives. Cess was nowhere in sight. This was the time she and him were in a fight. That was another topic they discussed about. "Although I was not born there, I felt like I was. My whole family were my friends."  
  
"I see. So, you were an orphan, yes?" He puffed his pipe silently, the smoke blowing against the fire and disappeared in the air. But Auron could still smell it somewhere. The sound of the wind was getting stronger, telling them the storm was soon coming.  
  
"Yes," Auron simply spoke.   
  
Suddenly, he heard footsteps. Both men looked up and noticed Mira coming down, followed by Lulu, her face bare naked from the dark makeup she usually wore. She looked well, human for once. She not hidden behind a mask of makeup that hid the real features of her face. The powder she wore on her face was gone, revealing a less paler Lulu, her face now revealing a more skin toned Lulu. Her hair was now up into a bun, not the style she had before. She was wearing a blue dress, one plain dress with its long sleeves and its white collar, covering most of her skin. Auron has never seen her wear without her usual attire, the one that showed her cleavage everytime she bent down. The two men stood up automatically, greeting the changed Lulu as they walked down the stairs.   
  
"Ah, you look beautiful, young girl," Clyre commented.  
  
Indeed she did. Even without makeup and her revealing dress, she looked normal and even more attractive. Auron nodded in agreemtn and silently sat back down, embarrassed. Lulu said nothing, blushing at Clyre's comment.  
  
"Na, enough with the flattery!" Mira spoke. "Let us eat dinner I prepared! Come! Come!" She waved her hand at Auron, who just stood there, staring at Lulu stupidly. Clyre had to pat his back to get his attention before Auron realized what he was doing. The two men followed the two women to the dining room. Inside they were greeted with the smell of good food. Chicken, beef, pork- everything was on the menu.   
  
Auron could smell, even taste it all. He waited until the two women sat.   
  
Lulu couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was as if she was in a dream. Mira sat her down on a chair and when Lulu was seated, she too seated herself beside the young Mage. Auron sat across from Lulu, while Clyre across from his wife. They were silent for a moment, until Lulu could no longer take the silence.  
  
"This looks all delicious, Mira," Lulu said, politely placing a napkin on her lap. Mira gave her a sweet smile.  
  
"Yes of course it is! All is made especially for ta both of ya! Now, dig in before it gets cold!"   
  
Auron and Lulu both looked at the food, none of them know where to begin. They were undecided, until Mira took the liberty of putting bread on both their plates and added a piece of chicken on them. The pair gave her a thank you smile and took this opportunity for them to each grab a piece of corn. The husband and wife waited until they were done picking until they both were able to pick.   
  
They were shocked as to how fast the two were eating. Mira couldn't help but say, "My, my, you must have been out in ta forest fer a long time."  
  
Auron swallowed his food and nodded. "We were."  
  
"What exactly happened there, me lad?" Clyre asked.  
  
Mira looked at him. "Na, Clyre, ter is no need to ask these kind strangers questions tat they do not wish to answer."  
  
"Yer, right. I apologize for asking suddenly," Clyre said.  
  
Lulu shook her head and swallowed the piece of chicken whole and said, "It's fine. There's no need to apologize."  
  
Mira and Clyre nodded. They continued to eat their meal, silently after that.  
  
******************************  
  
"Damn!" he swore, stomping his foot angrily on the ground. Rikku appeared after a while and was shocked to find their enemy... missing. She looked up as Wakka threw a large rock against the wall in frustration. "I should have made sure he was dead for good!"  
  
Rikku looked around. All was left was a debris of rocks and bricks from the wall where Kai and Cess were fighting. The spot where Kai's body was supposed to be, remained empty. Kimahri joined them after a while and did a double take on the place, before he turned to Rikku and Wakka and frowned. "We did not pay attention enough. It is not your fault Wakka, do not blame yourself."  
  
Wakka did not pay attention, for he was searching for something. Rikku approached him. "What are you doing?" she asked.   
  
The man looked up and frowned. "I was looking for any trails of his footsteps or something...anything to show where he'd gone," Wakka replied.  
  
"There are no footsteps," Kimahri spoke. "There are only footsteps of monster."  
  
Both of them turned towards the Rhonzo. "What do you mean?" Rikku asked.  
  
"He is Black Mage. Kai had a monster with him the first we met him. His monster flies him somewhere." He pointed to a pair of large footsteps, ones that looked like it had sharp claws. Rikku and Wakka watched it carefully and knew that Kimahri was right. They both remembered a monster that created a hole in the Al Bhed ship the first time they met Kai and took Lulu away.   
  
"So he's flying in the sky right now, looking for Lulu. What do we do now? He flew on his dragon, but we don't have anything to take us to the sky, except for the Al Bhed and daddy is using them to look for Lulu and Auron."  
  
Wakka shrugged. The best answer he can give her was, "All we have to do I guess is find them ourselves on foot or on a chocobo and with any luck, we might be able to meet up with them in a village or something to wherever it leads them."  
  
"You don't have to look far," a voice spoke. All three turned to find the last man they wished to see. Kai stood there, with a serious look on his face. He had no blood all over him, to show any indication that he was dead at all. "You're the ones that are keeping me from getting Lulu! I guess I'll have to kill you first. You know, to get the PESTS out of the way!"  
  
Wakka took out his weapon, the Blitzball, while Rikku fished out a bomb from her belt. Kimahri stood on his battle stance, growling at the man. Kai just stood there and began to laugh, making all three of Lulu's friends confused. "You really want to die so badly don't you?" Kai folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes.   
  
Wakka stepped forward. "Get ready you two. I think he's ready!"  
  
Rikku and Kimahri nodded and waited.   
  
"Not without me he isn't!" Cess appeared from behind and joined the group.  
  
The blond girl turned towards the older woman, shocked to see her there. "Cess! What are you doing here?!"  
  
"I'm going to finish what I started!" Cess replied, drawing her sword out. The wound in her arm inflicted pain, but she wasn't about to give up. She wasn't going to let the pain get the better of her. Kai was going to die once and for all, even if it means killing him without the Black Mage. She had the weapon to kill him, the tactic to finish him off that the three friends of Auron cannot dish out. She had it all. She started this fight, now she was going to finish it.  
  
*************************  
  
Dinner brought back all the energy she lost. She ate all she could, finished everything in her plate and excused herself. She decided she needed a good night's rest, even though it was only close to seven. She usually slept late, but with everything that's happening, all she wanted to do WAS sleep. Mira told her she could sleep in on of the beds and with the many good choices she had, she decided on room 23, the last room in the second floor. Lulu plopped tiredly on the bed and thought about where they would go after Auron and herself decide to leave the comfortable Inn. She also thought about how the Inn reminded her so much of another Inn from Presia. It was similar to the one here. More roomy and more comfortable. Lulu glanced out the window, the color of storm shining through the bedroom. The wind was getting heavier now. A branch of a tree was tapping against her window, making an eerie shadow, like a ghost wanting to be let in so it could haunt her. Lulu remembered how she used to be so scared of the night...now, she wasn't. It was her best friend now. Without a second thought, Lulu got up from bed and stood near the window. Outside, she could see the familiar house glaring at her.   
  
Images then began flashing in her head. An image of a young girl being cornered by a large man cowars in fear. She moved closer against the wall, curling herself into a ball, afraid that if she uncurled, he could reach her. Tears fell from the girl's eyes. She cried out her mother's name and when her mother approached her, shouting to her father to stop, she was pushed back hard. She watched as her mother fall to the floor unconscious.  
  
"You bitch! Are you going to marry him or not?!" he hissed, grabbing her arm. He punched her in the face, leaving a dark, right eye. He pulled her hair and pulled her with him as he started walking to the direction of the stairs, where he did the worse to her. When they were there, he sat her down on the highest steps and hit the back of her head, then began calling her vulgar names. She fell unconscious, her body falling down the stairs, but not before her mother caughter her in time.   
  
Lulu closed her eyes. She didn't want this memory to come back to her. She didn't want it! Yet, no matter how hard she tried to get rid of the images, it kept coming back to her- to THAT moment.  
  
She woke up in her mother's arms. She was cradled in her mother's arms, her mother whispering sweet words in her ears. However, their moment was crushed when he comes running down the stairs, picked her up by her dark locks and forced her once again on that same wall. He lifted his leg behind him, ready to strike his daughter with his foot, until suddenly, the child looked up, her eyes changed from innocence to that of a young woman with so much rage. Her mother watched in shock as her daughter stood up defiantly and raised a palm towards her father.   
  
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" she yelled.  
  
Surprised by her will, the father stood there, aghast, unable to move.   
  
A beam of fire escaped from the palm of her hands, striking the man as fast as lightning. It caught fire in his clothes. The man began to run around, yelling in pain as the fire scorched through his skin. The girl yelled again. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" And more fire escaped the palm of her hands, scorching the man even more.   
  
After a couple of minutes, the man lay dead on the floor. The girl stood there, shocked. Tears ran down her cheeks. What has she done? She killed him....is he dead? The girl lost her balance. She landed on her butt and stared at the body on the floor. Her mother approached her quickly and wrapped her arms around her daughter and cooed her with her soft voice saying, "Sshhh, it's okay now, my love. It wasn't your fault. It was self defense. It was self defense," she kept saying. She glanced behind her and then back at her daughter. "It was self defense," she said again.   
  
The girl watched as her mother left her side. She watched as her mother pulled the dead body and dragged it out the back door, to where it disappeared forever. The girl sat on the floor, thinking. She killed him! She killed him! She could still her mother say, "It was self defense! It was self defense!"  
  
Lulu closed her eyes, her mother's voice coming back to her. She was back to the present now. More images came flashing back in her mind again, ones that was before she killed her father. Before everything turned upside down. She was back again to that place where her life was happy, where there were no worries, where her family was happy. That was before they moved to Presia.   
  
Presia was her downfall. Lulu landed on her knees, the pain in the back of her mind becoming more and more unbearable. She didn't want this! Why did all this have to come back to her? Why was she back here in Presia?! Why did she have to come back here?!  
  
"NO!" she yelled. Clyre and Mira's flashed in her thought. She saw her younger self, maybe at ten, being treated like their own daughter at the Clyre Inn. A young Lulu and Kai ran around the Inn, while Mira tried desperately to make them stop. Clyre made his point by grabbing both their collars before they could get away and staring at them. The two children were scared, but Clyre ended up laughing. He told them to stop running around. And they listened. "STOP IT! I DON'T WANT THIS!"  
  
She heard a harsh knock on the door, but she just ignored it. She wanted the images out of her mind. She didn't want this!  
  
"Lulu?" Auron called. He knocked again. He heard her scream. Auron felt the worse had happened. He knocked once more, harder this time. "LULU!" She did not answer. "Are you all right in there?"  
  
"What's going on?" Clyre appeared behind him. "What's happening to the girl?"  
  
"She's screaming! I need to get in there!" Auron knocked again. "Uggh! There's no time for this! LULU! Hang on!" He backed away a few centimetres, just until he felt the other wall touch his back and charged at the door, bashing his shoulder against it. His wound had not fully healed yet, but he didn't care. He would do anything for Lulu. She was in pain. She was in so much turmoil. He needed to be there. He did it the second time again, ramming his shoulder against the door, despite Clyre's protests and despite the pain on his shoulder.  
  
Clyre sighed and ran out. Auron did not acknowledge that as he continued to ram the door down. The man appeared later with an axe in his hand. "Stand back!" he yelled. He smashed the axe against the door, the sign '23' falling off. Auron watched impatiently and when there was enough wood chopped off from the door, he squeezed his way inside and ran to the frightened woman. He turned her around and looked at her. She was crying. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her whimper in his embrace. Clyre and Mira appeared later inside the room and watched the pair.  
  
"It was self defense! It was self defense!" Auron heard Lulu chant. "I didn't meant to do it! He was hurting me! He was hurting us!"  
  
"Who was hurting you?" Auron asked.  
  
Clyre watched on. Lulu. He was afraid it would come to this. He was hoping she wouldn't remember all the bad things and remember the good memories in her childhood. But it cannot be helped when the past comes back to haunt you. He turned towards Mira and led her out the door. "Come, let them be for now," he told her.  
  
Mira nodded and both husband and wife left the pair on their own.  
  
Lulu closed her eyes, the same images kept flashing. It was as if a broken reel on a film kept blinding her with its images. She felt warmth against her body. Normally she would care who touched her, but right now she needed comfort. She needed someone she could trust and right now, she needed Auron. It was time for her to tell everything about what happened to her and the real reason WHY she left this village a long time ago. She needed to tell someone or else it will forever haunt her.  
GoodGurl: Woah! Yes I did it! A longer chapter! Yeehaw! Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter! See ya on the next one! ;) 


	8. Away From The Sun

GoodGurl: I know I so suck at writing stories, but thank you for Ater Serpens for telling me the error of my ways :D and sure I would like all my readers to tell me my mistakes and whatnot, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for letting me know that Auron's jug thing was for sake ;) heh heh. I thought I should get rid of it, since it was something not really important. I mean since you told me Ater, I don't think sake would help the situation they are in! LOL! ;) Oooh lookies, me gots a nice song that goes with this chappy! YEAY! ^_^ Oh yeah, the first few paragraphs with Auron and Lulu are a bit OOC, but I wanted to add something a little funny to a very depressing fic and I also wanted to show you guys that everyone deserves a few good laughs now and then and that Auron CAN make Lulu laugh! _ (tee hee!) Oh yah this chapter also includes Auron's past...in my mind anyway! ^_^  
  
It's down to this   
I've got to make this life make sense   
Can anyone do what I've done   
I missed life   
I missed the colours of the world   
Can anyone go where I am...  
'Cause now again I've found myself   
So far down, away from the sun   
That shines into the darkest place   
I'm so far down, away from the sun again   
Away from the sun again   
  
Away From The Sun by 3 Doors Down  
  
~...she knew that eventually, a new life would be born and eventually it would be her.   
  
Chapter 8 - Away From The Sun   
  
A long rest was what she needed, a place where she could just forget the past and look forward into the future, but here she was. She was back to the beginning, back to who she was, instead of looking forward to who she will truly become. She laid in bed, thinking, scratching every memory about that night away from her head, but try as she might, his face, that was once full of life, beamed in her mind- now pale with death and decay. There were times she wished she was never born or wished that 'he' never existed to ruin her life. Any of those would be good for her, then she wouldn't have to worry about anything. But she knew that eventually, a new life would be born and eventually it would be her.   
  
She didn't know how long she cried in Auron's arms, nor how long she was wrapped in his embrace, but all she knew that she found comfort in him. Now he knew everything. There was no escaping from the truth anymore.  
  
"Lulu?" The storm was dying away, but they could still hear it strong in the distance. All they could hear was each other, as they moved away from their long embrace. She looked up, embarrassed by her actions and stepped a little more away from him. A man with good intentions, who was gentle enough to embrace a woman with his arms, yet dangerous enough to kill a monster with his sword, stood there, staring at her. Sometimes, she could not understand Auron and his 'intentions,' on why he was doing what he was doing. Why was he a Guardian? Why was he wasting time and night to comfort her instead of sleeping during the storm?   
  
Lulu turned away from him and looked out the window. The night was failing her this time. The moon had begun to glow brightly through the dark room and shining upon her hidden face, showing her true self. She missed living a normal life, where there were no worries to think about. She missed it all. She missed being with Yuna when she met her as a child- the Summoner, eleven, while she was at a youthful age of sixteen. Though only young, she held a frown that made her look older. People always told her not to frown, because she was still really young, but Lulu ignored that. She didn't care. That's who she was. "I apologize for that."  
  
Auron shook his head slowly. He watched her form move from the window, away from the light and back into the darkness that masked everything about her and sat down on the bed. He wasn't sure what to do next. He stupidly stood there, unsure what to say at that point. He had to say something to her. He had to tell her that she didn't need to apologize. He took a deep breath, getting ready to say something, until she beat him there first.  
  
"I guess you're wondering what I was talking about?" She looked up, her face still marked that frown that made her look even older than twenty-two. Lulu stood up and looked back out the window. The wind died too, just like her. "I have so many things that no one, not even Yuna and Wakka know about," she said, not giving Auron a chance to answer. "I had a father- a man who forced me to do everything by hitting me across the face or kicking me in the stomach. My mother couldn't do anything of course, because she was just too weak to fight him off. She tried everything she could to comfort me, but it didn't help me from the pain... emotionally. I was emotionally scarred this whole time and I knew that if I get away from this place, I would forget everything. I did... for a while, until Kai came for me. He brought back all the memories- all of me that I had forgotten all those years ago... ones that I wanted to forget."   
  
The tall swordsman watched her face. There were no tears as she continued to explain her whole life story.   
  
"Everything that I said... about self-defense, it was because I killed my father." The moment of truth. Lulu looked up and stared into Auron's eyes. Auron approached her slowly, but stopped just before Lulu felt more uncomfortable. He knew not to be close, even when she doesn't tell him. She turned her eyes away from him suddenly and once more put her eyes back out the window. The house was still there, of course. She explained to him everything, about what he did that night, about her using her powers and about her mother burying her father's body in the backyard. She also explained to him that her mother told her to run away... somewhere far away. "But I didn't know where to go."  
  
"So you stayed home that night, pretending that nothing happened?"  
  
Lulu nodded, surprised by how Auron was catching up so fast. "Besaid was the only place I could turn to. It was my only salvation to the guilt I was holding in my heart. It was the only place I knew I could get accepted, even though it was many miles away. People began wondering what happened to my father and my mother and I just told them that he had gone for a long hunt and no one suspected a thing. Except Kai. He knew what happened that night, but he kept the secret to himself and when I left that morning for Besaid, I said no good byes to him and went on my way. Kai must have been angry. He must have felt betrayed because he kept the secret just for me, just for his love and all I did was turn away from him." No longer able to handle it any longer, Lulu wept, burying her face in her hands.   
  
Auron approached her this time and with courage, he wrapped his arms around her once again. "You were sixteen. You were scared and you didn't know what to do," he whispered in her ear.  
  
Lulu said nothing and continued to wept.  
  
"You weren't the only one who made mistakes in the past. I killed a bird with a slingshot and this bird was Jecht's favorite bird that he even brought in as a pet. He usually lets it out and it would come back to him and when it didn't come back, he was out for hours looking for it. I didn't tell him that I had accidentally killed his bird, instead I told him that he had found a female bird and flew away with his mate. Jecht grew up believing that."   
  
The woman looked up with tear-stained face. "What does that have to do with anything? That's different."  
  
Auron smirked. "Well, yeah it is, but I found it really funny really." Lulu's face went pale. "No, no, funny in a good way. The bird was not dead after all. I thought I killed a bird that looked like Jecht's when really it was just a stuffed toy that some kid put up on a tree out of boredom." He looked at her, grinning.  
  
Lulu was confused. What was he trying to do? Make her laugh? "If you're trying to make me laugh, it's not working."  
  
He shrugged. "Eh, it was worth a shot."  
  
They stared at each other. Awkward moment #3...   
  
And then-  
  
They both began to laugh, something that the others would find odd for the two most serious people to do. Lulu has never laughed for years, not even when Wakka hit his head on a pole while trying to catch the blitzball, not even the moments when Tidus slipped and fell while trying to avoid water on the floor. Auron hasn't either. It was odd really to be laughing, yet it felt great. "My stomach is starting to hurt," Lulu spoke suddenly. That statement made them laugh harder.  
  
Meanwhile, uknown to them, Clyre and Mira Mirkie stood outside, listening to their conversation. They heard them laugh. Clyred turned to his wife. "What are they laughing about?"  
  
Mira shrugged. "Something about a bird....?"  
  
"What's so funny about that?" Clyre said.  
**************************  
"Hey lady, that guy is the reason we're here right now!" she yelled, stepping in beside her. Cess looked at her and frowned. "Our friends are missing because of him!" Rikku fished out two bombs from her belt and glanced at the man staring at them with a smirk on his face. Cess sighed. She couldn't do anything about it now. No matter where she went, they were always there. Besides, she can always find time to create her potion while they distracted him.   
  
"Wow, Cess I never knew you had friends!" Kai proclaimed, gripping his staff tighter. He was getting irritated with all of them. He wanted to kill them right away, but what was the fun in that? Torturing them would be much better so he could show Lulu that he would do 'anything' to get her back. All four of them glanced at him, their minds now set on their goal to kill him. Kai smirked. How brave of them to think they could kill him that easily with their pathetic weapons. "And such a brave group you've become! Bravo!"  
  
"Shutup!" Cess yelled. "Hey, kid," she whispered behind her, not looking at who she was talking to.  
  
No on answered, until Wakka turned to Rikku. "Rikku, she's talkin' to ya."  
  
Rikkku furrowed her eyebrows and looked at the older woman. "Are you talking to me?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
The blond girl frowned. "I am not a girl..."  
  
"It doesn't matter what you are, just as long as you listen to me. Could you distract him for a while?"   
  
Rikku glanced at Wakka, then turned her attention back to Cess. "How do we know we can trust you? You ran away before... how do we know you won't run out on us again?"  
  
"You'll know once I kill him," Cess replied simply.  
  
"Whispering is not going to work...GIRL!" He lifted up his hand, yelling out Ice and aimed it straight towards Rikku's direction. Cess pushed her out of the way, the ice hitting her square in the shoulders. The woman cried out in pain, lifting up her sword and casting her own Ice his way. Kai dodged that easily than she had. Rikku broke her fall as the woman stumbled backwards.   
  
"You look terrible Cess!" Kai exclaimed, laughing. He ran a hand through his dark hair and smirked.  
  
Cess stood up quickly, ignoring her pain. "Now do you believe me?" she asked Rikku.  
  
Rikku nodded.   
  
"You are one of Auron's friends and getting you killed is the last thing I want to do." She glanced over her shoulder and gave the young girl a small smile, before turning her attention back to the madman.   
  
Rikku smiled back. "I gotcha!" She fished another bomb and glanced at Wakka and Kimahri, who both noticed her. "Let's go help her out boys!" She gripped her bomb tightly in the palm of her hands and ran forward, followed by Wakka and Kimahri. Cess watched them as the three bravely faced Kai, with their weapons tightly clutched in their arms and hands, ready to finish off Kai. The woman quickly fished inside her trouser pocket and took out a potion. She then uncorked the green bottle and poured the content into another bottle, which was half full that she took out from another pocket. When she poured all of the contents into that bottle, she shook it, to mix both contents together and looked back up. The young girl managed to cut Kai across his right leg with her knife and when she attempted to make another slit across his other leg, Kai was able to use his Thunder, shocking the poor girl. Rikku closed her eyes in pain as she went slowly down on her knees. Kai lifted up his staff to cast another spell on the girl, but Wakka smashed his weapon against Kai's back, forcing the brown haired man to turn around to the Blitzball star.   
  
"You know, you are really starting to irritate me!" Cess heard Kai say. While Kai's eyes weren't turned on her, Cess made her way cautiously around Kai and slowly opened the bottle. Rikku was able to recover from the pain and continued to attack Kai with all her might. Kimahri was slashing his spear close to Kai's face, but Kai dodged that quickly. Cess could feel her own wound conflicting pain from the previous attack. She placed a hand on her shoulder for support and ran quickly, yet silently all the way around until she saw Kai's back. With one swift move, Cess poured the content on his back. The green and yellow substance oozed down his back, like acid, eating away at his clothes and skin. Kai stumbled back in surprise and screamed in pain. He turned and saw her standing there with the bottle in her hand. "What-? What have you done to me?!"  
  
Cess lifted up the bottle to show the man. "This is acid, Kai. Don't worry, it's not going to kill you. Though it will hurt for a couple of seconds, this substance will only trap you inside its shell. This is a special magic that captures ALL Black Mages used years ago when men wanted to capture these special Mages so they could take their power away. This special magic is called Stonewall. No one can break through it."  
  
The yellow substance began to harden around Kai's body. Kai tried to move, but it was no use, the Stonewall had hardenes his legs and arms. It was spreading across his body and heading towards his face. "If you struggle, Kai, then it will spread faster," he heard Cess say. Kai looked up and noticed her smirking. No! It wasn't over! He couldn't go yet! He had to marry Lulu and be his wife! She belonged to him!  
  
"No! I will not give up! I will marry Lulu! No one can stop me from marrying her! NO!" The substance now reached his face, enabling Kai to speak. Before long, the Stonewall had reached its destination, freezing the Black Mage altogether. Rikku, Wakka and Kimahri watched in amazement as the Stonewall completely stoned him.   
  
"It's over," Cess spoke. "It's time to carry him back to prison." She turned to Kimahri and Wakka. "Will you two help me?"  
  
Wakk and Kimahri nodded. They followed her to Kai and stood around him. Wakka put his arms around Kai's waist, while Kimahri reached for the legs. Cess decided on taking the bottom once the two lifted Kai off of his feet.   
  
Suddenly, Kai began to glow. Kimahri and Wakka looked up shocked. Cess was in even more shock than the two. They quickly dropped him and ran to Rikku's side, away from Kai. The hard substance, for some unknown reason began to melt in front of their eyes. "No..." Cess murmured. "That's impossible!"  
  
Wakka turned to her. "What are you talking about? What's happening?"  
  
"He knows how to break through the Stonewall!" she whispered.  
  
Rikku looked at her, shocked. "Say what?"  
  
The substance began to glow brighter. It blinked twice around Kai and then it shattered into millions of pieces. All four covered their heads and their faces with their arms and when all the debris had landed, they turned their eyes back towards Kai. They heard his laugh and when they did, it ran chills down their spine.  
  
Wakka looked at Cess. "I thought you said that no one could break through the Stonewall?"  
  
Cess frowned. She knew it! She knew it was too good to be true. That spell that was given to her was useless all along. She believed everything the man said to her. How could she have been blind? She was betrayed! "NO!" She slammed a fist into her palm and gritted her teeth in irritation. "This cannot be! That man has deceived me!"  
  
"What man?" Rikku asked, taking two bombs from her belt.  
  
Kai stood there, smirking as he listened to their conversation.  
  
"The one who gave me the spell. He said it would work! This cannot be!"  
  
"Hah hah! I thought you would be smarter than that, Cess? I mean, you are, after all the one to assasinate me! So, do you like my little drama I did there? Hah hah! No magic will work against me, Cess. Even if you have Lulu with you, she will never be able to defeat me. I can live as long as I want and still find a chance to meet Lulu! Right now, I guess all you have to do is catch me if you want to kill me!" He backed away a few steps and looked below him, then smiled. "See ya!" He fell backwards off the cliff. All four gasped in shock as the Black Mage disappeared. Before they could decide on looking to make sure he was dead, the same large monster that attacked the Al Bhed ship whizzed pass them and flew into the air, with Kai riding on its back. He turned and smirked, saluting them and waving good bye and he disappeared behind the clouds.  
  
"Damn! He got away again!" Wakka swore.  
  
Cess frowned. "No matter, we will capture him from the ship," she said.  
  
Rikku clipped off her PHS and dialed her father's number in the Al Bhed ship. "Hello, dad?" All she heard was a silent static, then it got louder and louder.  
  
"Ri...kku...? We.... Stuck...."   
  
"Hello?! Dad?! HELLO!"  
  
She heard the same soft hiss and then, after that, she heard nothing. Rikku looked up and frowned. "No use, I can't reach them. The Al Bhed ship is probably in the middle of the storm and who knows how long we have to wait until we can reach them."  
  
"Then we wait here," Cess commanded.  
  
"Hey, who left you commander, ya?" Wakka asked, folding his arms across his chest.  
  
"All right, what do you suppose we do, commander?" Cess said sarcastically, turning her head towards the tall man.  
  
Wakka thought for a moment, then sighed. "All right...we stay."  
***************************  
Cid turned the PHS off and frowned. "Dammit! I can't get hold of Rikku and the others." He looked up and noticed the storm getting stronger, forcing the ship off balance for a few seconds. "Hold on!" He yelled through the noise, turning his head towards his crew. The ship titled into an angle, forcing the people on board to slip from their spot. Yuna held on tightly to Tidus, while he held on tightly to the safety handle on the wall. Cid grasped his arms around the seat of his pilot.   
  
"What's going on?!" Tidus yelled, looking out the window. They saw nothing, but grew clouds and wind blowing them further away from their destination.  
  
Cid looked over his shoulder at the young blond. "We must have flown into the wrong place at the wrong time. I had no idea Storm Season was this strong around these parts! Giron!" He patted Giron on the shoulder. The young man looked up at his Commander. "I want you to go lower, maybe try to avoid the storm clouds."  
  
"It's impossible!" Giron yelled back. Something hard hit the metal at the side of the ship. Giron pointed to the Grid Map in front of him. "It says here the storm is much stronger at lower altitude that higher altitude. If we go down, then the ship will be carried away and we'll crash for sure!"  
  
"Shit!" Cid swore under his tongue. It Rikku was here, she would be slapping him at the back of his head. He knew how much Rikku hated it when he swore. "Use the alternative then! We can push ourselves faster through the storm and stop just in time above the destination we want to be in! Use the Solar Rockets!"  
  
"But, sir! If we use that, then we'll run out of fuel!"   
  
"DO IT!" Cid hissed.   
  
Giron gulped and nodded. "Activating Solar Rockets!" he yelled in Al Bhed. He reached out to push a round, green button on the console. The ship slowed down for a bit and after a clicking sound was heard, the ship suddenly went faster. Giron held tightly at the side of his seat, while Cid gripped his arms much harder around the seat. Yuna and Tidus were thrown off balance from the sudden impact and they landed on the ground hard, though Tidus was able to put his arm around Yuna's head to protect her from the fall. The two went flying about, Yuna screaming into Tidus' ears.   
  
"Hang on, Yuna!" Tidus yelled. As they were falling, he looked up and reached out his hand to a bar that was nearby. He grabbed it quickly and managed to hang on, while Yuna fearly hung on to Tidus' waist. The ship suddenly went off course and changed direction. It abruptly began to dive down. Tidus and Yuna went flying the other direction.   
  
"What's going on?! We're falling!" Yuna yelped, closing her eyes.  
  
"Sir!" Giron yelled, quickly turning his head towards his leader. "The wind must have blown us off course while using the Rockets!"  
  
"So? What does that mean?" Tidus yelled.  
  
"It means..." Cid turned to all the crew members, especially even the two who were hanging on for dear life. "We're going to CRASH! HANG ON!!!!!"  
  
Yuna and Tidus closed their eyes. Tidus wrapped his arms around his beloved and prayed to Yevon that somehow, somewhere, they were going to survive this. What was he thinking? He was going to survive this! Him and everyone else! They were going to survive this!  
  
And, by the time they heard the crash of the ship, the last thing he and Yuna was saw was darkness.  
**********************  
They both felt it and it hit them like a slap on the face. He woke up with aching muscles. Slowly, he opened his eyes. He turned to see her there, their hands entwined, while her body was on the floor beside him. Tidus quickly went to her side and lifted her up. "Yuna!" he called. She responded by opening her eyes. To his relief, she was breathing right. He inhaled and wrapped his arms around her tightly, hoping it wasn't a dream and when he felt her there, he knew he wasn't.  
  
Yuna looked around wearily. No one else was around. It was only darkness that surrounded them. "Where-? Where is everyone else?" She looked up into his eyes, hoping for an answer, but all Tidus could give her was a shrug and a simple, 'I don't know,' before he helped her up on her feet. The young Summoner brushed off dirt from her skirt and frowned. "We have to find them."  
  
"Of course," Tidus replied. "But right now, we have to stay inside. The storm out there is much too dangerous for us to go looking for them."  
  
The girl turned to look at him, curiously. "What are you talking about? Where are we?"  
  
Tidus rubbed the back of his neck and grinned. "We're kind of trapped inside a cave right now."  
  
Yuna's eyes glowed. She turned her head back straight ahead and looked out. She could hear the howling wind outside. The hollow sound of their voices told her that they were indeed inside a cave. But what do they do now? What if the storm doesn't disappear? What if the others are out there? She found somewhere safe to sleep for the night."  
  
The girl turned around to face him and nodded, smiling. "You're right. I shouldn't worry too much."  
  
Tidus nodded. "Right! That's the spirit." He sat down on one of the large rocks around a small fire, indicating that someone must have been here already. He looked around, curiosity taking over him and moved his hand behind that rock. He felt something soft and small. The blond boy turned and lifted up the object and found a moogle doll. "Uh...Yuna?"  
  
Yuna looked up from her concentration of prayer and focused her eyes on Tidus, holding a very familiar looking doll. "That's...!"  
  
Tidus nodded, smiling and winking at her. "It's Lulu's doll! That means they were here before! That means they're alive!"  
  
The girl smiled. "Yes they are!"  
  
"See? I knew they would never abandon us like that! I knew they would have found a way to survive!"  
  
"I knew it as well and...!"   
  
A blast from the distance interrupted their conversation. Yuna and Tidus looked outside, a form of reaction that something out there blew up, even though they couldn't see anything. "What was that?!" Tidus asked, standing up, both his and Yuna's eyes still trained outdoors.  
****************************  
Awkwardness...yes that was the word that kept her from telling everything more about herself. That night they talked about life. For hours on end, he told everything about himself, while she told of her story as a child. They were both connecting, but it wasn't what Lulu wanted. Auron was the type of man who would eventually listen to anyone, despite the context of the story- how boring or how pathetic it was. To her, he was just her friend. She learned everything about him, about him and Cess, about his family, though he had no one, because he was an orphan and how he became a swordsman. He told her that he was rasied by a swordsman who taught him how to defend by a sword and how to fight with it. She agreed with him how the man told Auron that the world was a tough place to live in. Reality itself was a difficult task to handle and it was even more difficult if you try to leave it. Both ways, we relied on reality, yet we hate it. That was why she liked the darkness. In the darkness, there was no worries. The darkness was her own reality... her own place of comfort. Some say that if you keep hiding away from the daylight, then there will be no other ways to live. To her the sun was a constant reminder of her life with Chappu. When he came along, he built a light around her that made her feel safe, and when he died, that wall crumbled right before her eyes, revealing the darkness again. Her ears remembered what she heard of Auron's words before they departed. "If you keep hiding from the darkness, then there will be no comfort for you for the rest of your life. You will only keep to yourself and hurt others around you."   
  
She shook her head to herself. Lulu stared out the window. Auron was there, practicing his sword with a lonesome tree. Hurt others around me? she thought. She wasn't hurting anyone by keeping to herself. If she got out of it, then she will only hurt more people. Look at what's happening! The past has come to haunt her- the past that buried her emotions deep inside that she never wanted to see again has opened it up and look at the results! It hurt people! It was hurting her friends! She didn't want this! She didn't want the whole world to know the real her. She just wanted to live a normal life and be hidden from view. She glanced out the window again. Auron was making a parry with his sword, moving from one place to another as if the tree itself was attacking him. Auron was the first person to ever tell everything about his life. He was the only person who kept things hidden from everyone else...just like her. He was right about them being the same. They were the same, but she still admired him for being so strong. She was still weak. Still pathetic. Still the target of a man whom she betrayed all those years ago. Lulu looked behind her to the bed where he sat, while she sat in this very spot she was sitting in now, talking to him about her life.   
  
"If I could go back in time," she told him. She looked up, noticing how attentive Auron was. This was the first time anyone has ever listened to her. "If I could go back in time, I would thank Kai for being so kind to me."  
  
Auron had shook his head then. "You wouldn't want that. Destiny enabled you to say anything. Eventually, you and him would become enemies."  
  
Lulu looked out the window, back to Auron, opening her mouth as if she was back to the time they were speaking to each other. "I knew that," she said outloud, remembering what she had replied to him then.  
  
"Destiny is not about having to feel guilt. Destiny is having to accept everything that has been given to you."  
  
Lulu sighed. "So it was Chappu's destiny to die and to leave me alone?" she asked, without any emotion. She knew she had to be strong. Crying was her weakness. She promised this time she would not shed a tear.  
  
Auron didn't know how to answer that, she could tell, by the way he had his eyes wandering somewhere else.   
  
"You don't have to answer that," Lulu continued. She couldn't let him...wouldn't...because she already knew the answer. Indeed, it was his destiny to die so she could leave the world she has known all her life and begin to journey to her own destiny...to be a Guardian to the young Summoner. Lulu said nothing. She felt him get up and leave the room without a word. Lulu hoped he would stay longer, but she knew she couldn't pursuade him. He was a man of independence and so was she.  
  
"It was also my destiny to leave that place," Auron replied, he said before leaving the room completely.  
  
Lulu watched the door closed, curiously. There was something else he didn't tell her, but it was not her job to ask.   
  
Back to the present time, Lulu looked out the window again, expecting Auron to be parrying still with the tree, but to her surprise, he was just standing there, staring at the moon that stood bright into the night. She watched him. He looked mysterious, yet very handsome with his gaze towards the light of the moon. His green eyes gleamed with brightness, while hers hid from view behind the curtains. She watched him much longer, examining him, wondering what he was thinking about. There, even surprising herself, as he stood like a statue, she was able to read him for the first time, as if he was telling her outloud. He was in pain. The missing pieces which he failed to tell her were the pain and the suffering he beheld a long time ago that no longer existed now. It faded like the night when the sun is rising in the distance. He was thinking about his past. Suddenly, she noticed a single tear flow from his right eye, as he raised his sword again to parry with the tree once more. No other person would have noticed it and Auron might have thought no one did, but she did. She noticed the single drop that fell from his face and was the first water that connected with the dry earth. Lulu continued to watch him, noticing the change in his moves. He became more agitated and distraught before the tear flowed from his eyes. His concentration was nowhere on the tree, but on somewhere else. It was on his past.  
***************************  
A small butterfly...  
  
So innocent...  
  
So free...  
  
But when captured, it no longer has the innocence.  
  
The innocence and the freedom has been raped from its wings...  
  
It was chosen to be a prisoner in a world where there was no sunlight  
"Am I that butterfly, mother?" her son asked, looking up with sad eyes.   
  
She stroked her son's dark hair, the dark streaks fading into lighter brown as he grew. "You are...But if you let your emotions take over you, then you are no longer free. It was a mistake for me to marry him..."  
  
"Mother?" he looked at her, curious.  
  
Her eyes were glowing with anger and hate. "You and I are free now, my love. You and I can go out into the world and have a freedom of our own. Is that what you want?"  
  
He smiled and nodded. "Yes."  
  
The scene changed from darkness to sunlight. The moon became the light to those on Earth. He watched them take her away. He watched them pry her away from him. He didn't know what to do. He just watched...  
  
And watched...  
  
And watched...  
  
Until the vehicle disappeared from his sight.  
  
He wasn't an orphan. Those who took her away took him to a place. To his Uncle and Aunt, who cared nothing for him. His family was rich and all they wanted from him was the money, the millions of Gil that his father owned before he 'disappeared.' They abused him, threatened him, beat him, asking him where it was, but he didn't know. His father must have hidden it somewhere. But they insisted that he told them. For almost everyday, they pursued him, left him with no food, asking him many times where the money was. And when suspicions finally lay on them from their neighbours, they pretended to love him. He couldn't do anything, couldn't stand up for himself. They would point at him, whispering to each other that he was a demon child, a child of a woman who murdered her own husband. They were considered the 'perfect' parents for their orphaned nephew. So he ran away...  
  
Away from them...  
  
Away from the turmoil he was facing...  
  
There he found 'him.'  
  
The man who raised him as his own son.  
  
The good man who did not care about his fortune.  
  
He wanted to raise him as a good man as well.  
  
And so he grew up to be one...  
  
He grew up to be a swordsman like him. But he left too. He left him all alone. Master Roshu died in Auron's arms as an old man. But he stayed there, whispering that he would come back to him. "You promised!" he yelled to his teacher. He promised he would live. Auron grew up believing that, but when he was old enough to understand his Master's fate all those years ago, he had the courage to move on with his life, to find a new adventure.   
  
And so he came to Besaid, a secluded Island where there were no worries. Auron left his painful memories back in Numra and the happy ones in Misham and allowed his life anew. He had forgotten about it...until now.   
Auron frowned. He didn't want the past again. All that came back to him just by talking to Lulu. He was a butterfly, yes...but he was a butterfly caught in a spider's web- a prey ready to be devoured by the past. No matter how many times he slashed the tree with his sword, the images of him as a boy kept coming back. It was a mistake for him tell Lulu everything.   
  
"Are you all right, Sir Auron?"   
  
Surprised, Auron turned to find her standing there, all clean and fresh, dressed in her usual attired...all fixed. Even the belts that were considered gone were back around the skirt of her dress, but her hair still held no pins that kept it up. It flowed down her back like silk. Auron turned slowly and nodded. "I am fine. I see your clothes are back to normal."  
  
Lulu smiled a rare smile and nodded. "Yes. I came out here to bring you this." In her hands, that Auron did not notice before, she held a black bag.   
  
"What is it?" Auron asked, looking at the bag curiously.  
  
"Your red coat that was tattered and torn has been fixed as well," Lulu explained.  
  
Auron took the bag from her hand gently and opened it, to reveal his red coat, just as she had said, stitched and brought back to life. "Thank you," he said, putting it around him, hiding the white tank that revealed his muscles.  
  
Lulu shook her head. "Do not thank me..." she said. She looked over her shoulder at the front door, as if someone was there. "Say thanks to Mira for fixing it for you."  
  
"I will," he simply said, before turning away from her.  
  
"Sir Auron..." Lulu attempted to take a step forward, but paused, unsure whether it was the right moment to comfort him. After all, he comforted her, so it was her turn to do so.  
  
Auron paused, turning his head slightly towards her. "Yes?"  
  
"If you need someone to talk to... you can talk to me," Lulu spoke with so much compassion that even she couldn't believe she was saying it.  
  
Auron nodded slightly and turned his face back to the moon. "Thank you," he spoke deeply. "But I do not believe it is necessary." The last person he confided in was Cess and look where this brought them. More agony and pain for both of them. The more love they had for each other, the more secrets they said of each other. With those secrets, Cess and him became emotionally involved with one another. But that broke when his cold self broke him free from her grasp, a personality he has grown quite accustomed to. He didn't want to love Lulu. He didn't want. He might end up hurting her.   
  
Lulu nodded with disappointment. "It was just an offer."  
  
Auron nodded. "Then thank you again. When I need someone to confide in...I will turn to you," he said, turning to glance at her quickly.  
  
Lulu smiled slightly and turned around to walk back into the house. Auron watched her from the corner of his eye and when she was gone, he sighed. He had lied to her. He would never confide in her. He chooses not to. If he did, he will hurt her. Because of the past, he had grown cold and unemotional. Would Lulu be able to handle a man like him? Auron lifted up his gigantic sword and stabbed the tree, cutting the tree in half. Dammit! What has gotten into him? He promised he would never get involved with another woman!  
  
GoodGurl: OOOOOOHHHHHHHH another cliffhanger! Heh heh! Hey I know Auron isn't cold, but he's not the type of man who would be emotional either! So I think that would be considered cold. So, he thinks Lulu won't be able to stand him because of his personality? We'll see! Hah so you guys already know his past! Just my thoughts so don't blame me and its been a long time since I played Final Fantasy X! See ya! ;) 


	9. The Continuing Storm

GoodGurl: Hi everyone! Awww, I was hoping for more reviewers, but I guess people are too busy with school and all. To Murphy: Thank you for your truthful words. I understand I suck and yeah it was rather confusing. I guess that's my problem with the way I write my stories, I tend to just blabber on and on about things and I do notice it. Thank you for your honest review. I appreciate it if you could give me more hints and help me out on my metaphors! ^_^; I guess I'm not that good. LOL. Anywayz, I hope I get more reviews from you. I mean I don't mind if you give me more critiques, because I do need that. I plan on just keeping it simple and not carry on with the metaphors from now on. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 9 - The Continuing Storm   
Once more, the moon greeted him with a simple smile of its glowing rays. He has no idea how long he's been staring up at the sky with his thoughts back to his past. He went to school in Besaid, met Braska and Jecht as a young man and became his close friends. A year later, a fourteen-year-old girl appeared in his life, by the name of Cess, who was his neighbor then. After that, the four of them became inseparable. Auron was staying with Jecht and his family and immediately became one of them, despite his differences with Jecht. Every morning, the boy in his sixteen years would train with his gigantic sword and remembered every lesson his Master taught him about offense and defense when in battle with the sword. Despite his name as a 'swordsman,' he was still premature in battle alone.   
  
Auron sighed. There were still so many things he has to learn about sword fighting, despite his age. Master Roshu told him once that he was pass his thirties before he mastered all the techniques of a sword. "The sword is a difficult weapon to wield, because it holds the spirit of the one who fights with it," his Master told him. The man took a deep breath, thinking about his Master's words. Auron placed his sword in between the palm of his hands and stared ahead, closing his eyes, forcing his mind to focus on his energy. "The most difficult sword technique there is to master is the Apocalypse," his Master's voice still speaking to him. The Apocalypse, he thought. Auron opened his eyes and put his sword at his side. His mother's words came back into his thoughts. "You are like a butterfly, my dear son... a butterfly that if you are caught, then there is no room for you to spread your wings and fly away from pain."   
  
"Enough with the butterfly," the swordsman said to himself. Shaking the words of his mother from his mind, Auron turned around, placing his sword back in its sheath and left the area quietly. He needed to go for a walk- a time to think things through, without his Mother or his Master to tell him anything. He let himself out through the gate and into the quiet neighborhood. The night was getting late, he could tell because not many people were out and the sky was getting brighter- not from the moonlight, but from the large bright sun that wants to leave its bed and wake up. He didn't know where he was going, but something was drawing him to that house where Lulu grew up in. An image of her crying about the past flashed in his mind. He couldn't stand it when women cry. That was his only weakness. Cess used that tactic when they used to date, when he wouldn't help her out when she needed it. It was even more difficult, when Auron wanted a break from their relationship and Cess just started crying her heart out. It took him minutes, until he convinced himself not to fall in her trap.  
  
He walked pass two houses, before he made at the front of Lulu's house. Ahead, he noticed a figure standing there as well, just staring at the door. It took him a couple more minutes, before he realized it was her... Lulu. Auron walked up to her, letting his footsteps be known so she wouldn't be startled by his presence. Lulu turned around, her face showing a little bit of surprise when she noticed him there. "Couldn't sleep either?" she asked casually, turning back around towards the door.  
  
Auron nodded. "There were many thoughts in my head and I found myself unable to sleep. Is that the same with you?"  
  
Lulu sighed and answered his question with a simple nod. "It keeps coming back to me... that night." She took a step towards the door and lifted up her hand to the doorknob. At first she hesitated and after a while, finally opened it to reveal a cozy and roomy living building. Lulu stepped inside and Auron followed suit, making sure he was close enough to keep a close eye on her so she wouldn't break down again. He followed her to a small, dusty living room, one that consisted of a couch, a fireplace, a rocking chair and a small round table in front of the couch where three people could sit in it. The fireplace looked like it hasn't been used for ages, while the corners of the walls in the area were filled with spider webs. Lulu approached the rocking chair slowly and watched it for a while, until Auron couldn't take it anymore with the curiosity kicking in his mind.   
  
"What is it?" he asked, looking around the house.  
  
The Black Mage sighed and looked up, frowning. "This rocking chair was where my mother rocked me to sleep when I was just three years old." She looked down on the rocking chair and smiled, thinking about that night. She turned and approached the fireplace and picked up the picture that was sitting up on the mantle. Auron was unaware of the picture's presence, until Lulu picked it up and studied it with dreamy eyes. "This is a picture of me and my parents." She held it out so Auron could see.  
  
Auron joined her near the fireplace and looked at the picture. A young Lulu- maybe at the age of ten, was sitting on her father's lap, smiling, while her mother, sat beside them, her hands holding her husband's. "You look really happy," he replied, looking at the smiling face of the young Lulu. The man hit himself mentally for asking such a dumb question. He knew how must it hurt Lulu to think about her past, when her past fled from her in this present time.   
  
The Black Mage frowned and put the picture back on the mantle, then turned around to look at the house some more. Without a word, she walked pass Auron and walked up the stairs to the second floor. Auron followed her as well, even though he had no right to do so, but he was curious. He ended up following her to a small hallway and to the first room they saw. Lulu left the door open for him, knowing full well he was behind her and entered the room, holding her breath for this moment. How long has it been? She didn't remember.   
  
Auron joined her a couple seconds later. He looked around the small room cautiously. This room was much smaller than he had thought, but with the pink wallpapers around the room and the small bed and the desk, indicated it was for a little girl, not more than six years old. "Is this your room?"  
  
Lulu nodded. She sat down on the small bed, which was far too big for her and stared at it, placing her hand on the soft mattress. "This is where I slept whenever I was tired and where I cried whenever my father came home from work drunk. I was scared of him when he was drunk, because I knew he would come to my room and beat me."  
  
The swordsman closed his eyes in shame for asking such a personal question. He was going to say something, when Lulu found something that caught her attention, which brought curiosity in Auron, so he pursed his lips together. Underneath the blanket of the bed, she reached inside and took out a small, stuffed moogle, one that had a pink ribbon around its little antenna at the top of its head. Lulu looked at it for a while, holding it in the palm of her hands and brought it to her chest to embrace it. Tears dwelled inside her, threatening to fall, but she held it back against her will. She had to be strong for this one. It was just remembering the past. If she cried now, she will never be able to find strength in herself to let the past go. Choking back the tears, Lulu blinked and pulled the stuffed moogle so she could look at it again. The eyes of the toy were made of large, round black buttons and it was an off white color, unlike the color of her other moogle which she left back in the cave where they stayed. It was smaller than her other one, but it was just small enough for a little girl who needed a friend named, "Mavis."   
  
"This was the friend I had when I was a child. My mother gave this to me on my sixth birthday and whenever I was sad, I would talk to this toy and pretend it was my friend who comforted me when I needed to be. She was like my only companion in this world of Sin." She pulled it against her chest once more and hugged it as tight as she could.   
  
Auron just watched her. Her hands were shaking and he knew she was trying to hold back tears again. "Lulu, you don't need to hold them back. You can cry if you want to. This is your home."  
  
Lulu shook her head and looked up, her eyes now filled with the tears she was blinking away. "I don't want to cry, Sir Auron."  
  
The swordsman, without thinking, walked up to her, stopping just in front of her. "Why not?" he asked. He didn't want to bring back the memory that she had indeed cried in his arms. Maybe it would humiliate her even more. "There is no shame in showing your tears," he added.  
  
Lulu stood up, putting the moogle back on the bed and sighed, not looking at Auron straight in the eyes. "Because I want to stay strong for this. I don't want to be weak any longer. If I am to be strong, I must face this fear of being here so I can defeat Kai myself." She looked up and looked at Auron, then turned and walked away.   
  
Auron watched her leave and before she could disappear behind the wall, he said, "What is your fear Lulu? You have already conquered all of it."  
  
The Black Mage paused by the doorway. She stood there for a couple of minutes, before walking out of the house completely.  
  
*************************************  
"SHIT!" he swore, kicking the side of the airship. He looked up at Giron, who was being treated for his wounds and gritted his teeth. "How the hell do we fly now? We need to get the damn engine runnin'! What the hell is the problem with this thing?!" Cid kicked the side of the damaged ship again. "I'm going to look for Tidus and Yuna. Giron..." He glanced at his pilot. "You take charge of everyone here. Do what you have to do to fix this thing."  
  
Giron nodded. "Yes, sir," he replied, nodding. "But, are you really going to go out there into the storm?"  
  
Cid glanced over his shoulder and smirked. "What does it look like?"  
  
Giron pursed his lips and watched his Captain leave the shelter of their ship. Cid stepped into the platform and felt his feet step on to the ground. A slight wind blew his long coat behind him and a chill ran down his spine. The bald captain wrapped his coat tighter around himself and began to trek towards the forest and disappeared quickly into the shadows.   
  
Trees already surrounded him. The storm was only miles away and he knew that if he didn't come back sooner or later, he would be trapped under the storm's anger and pull both him and if by any luck, Tidus and Yuna as well into the abyss. The storms around these parts were stronger than any other places he could remember visiting. Cid marked the trees he passes by with his dagger so he would find his way back to the ship and continued forward. He pulled his eye protectors over his eyes and examined the place.   
  
...Nothing but trees. He glanced to his right and noticed the same tree he marked the first time he stepped into the forest. He was going in circles. "Dammit, if I keep this up, I will never be able to find Tidus and Yuna." Cid closed his eyes. "All right, think, Cid! I have to concentrate. You are, after all an Al Bhed. Al Bheds know their way out of a situation like this." Sighing, the bald Al Bhed looked around for another way out and to his left, the one place he knew he hasn't been to, was another path. This one was different than the path he went to. This one actually had a light coming through. With any luck, if he finds a cave, he knew for certain that Yuna and Tidus would be there. They couldn't have been thrown more than fifty feet into the air and landed somewhere together. It was always hope and faith that saves them from death and that never separates them from each other. Now thinking of his daughter, Cid turned around and glanced at somewhere behind him, towards the direction of the mountaintops where Rikku and Wakka were. "I hope you're all right, kiddo," he whispered to himself, before deciding on taking that path.  
*****************************  
  
"How long do you think the storm will continue on like this?" she spoke, the voice in her ear sounding hollow. She glanced to her side at him, who was trying to rub two stones together to make fire, but it just kept dying on him. Yuna smiled, put Lulu's stuffed animal down on the log beside her and joined Tidus near the firewood he gathered nearby. "Here, let me do that." She closed her eyes and pointed a finger towards the collected firewood. Fire burst from her fingers and burnt the large sticks collected. Soon, the cave was surrounded by light and warmth.   
  
Tidus sat back down on his seat across from Yuna and sighed. "It's very hard to tell when storms end in this region, but don't worry, I'm sure everyone else on the ship found a way to survive. Cid would never let anyone die, not even his crew. Eventually, he will find us."   
  
Yuna nodded. "You're right." She picked up Lulu's doll once again and wrapped her arms around it, surrounding it with her warmth, and then clutched it close to her heart. "Do you think Lulu and Auron are all right?"  
  
The blond boy opened his eyes and threw a small stick in the fire, then looked up at Yuna's worried face. "Hey, don't you worry about that. You and I both know that Lulu and Auron would have found a way to survive even the worse possible situations."  
  
"You're right. I shouldn't be negative about this," Yuna responded, taking a deep breath. She stood up and made her way around the fire towards Tidus. She sat down beside him and laid her head on her shoulder. "No matter how hard I tried, Tidus, I am still frightened for them. I know they're strong, but sometimes the strongest can become weak when the right rope is cut."  
  
Tidus wrapped an arm around Yuna's shoulder and leaned his head on top of hers. "You're just going to have faith in them, Yuna," he replied.  
  
They broke into silence after that, letting the sound of the howling wind and the taps of the large drops of rain on the ground is their noise. It was too dangerous still to risk going outside and to find the Al Bhed ship. Tidus turned his head towards the storm. He would have gone outside himself, but he couldn't leave Yuna alone. Not only was there a storm to worry about, there were dangerous monsters to worry about as well. Along with their condition-- the minor injuries that inflicted both him and Yuna, there was no use at all to go outside.  
  
Who would be foolish enough to go outside in weather like this? Tidus thought, closing his eyes from fatigue.  
**********************************  
The night once again surrounded them. She walked on ahead, without looking back to see whether Auron had followed her, although she didn't need to know if he was following her. His footsteps were always a dead give away and after a couple of seconds, he was already right at her side. She couldn't quite understand why he kept following her. There was no point anymore. It was time for her to go back to bed and sleep so she could release herself into her dreams. "Sir Auron, I think it's time for me to head on back." She glanced up at him and gave him a lopsided grin. She couldn't smile. Not yet. She wasn't ready to smile completely. "I need rest."  
  
Sir Auron just nodded as Lulu turned around the other way, back towards the inn. He took a deep breath. He had to tell her everything about how he felt. If he kept this up, he knew he was going to regret it for the rest of his whole if he didn't tell her.   
  
A sudden thunderstorm interrupted him from his thoughts. Auron looked up towards the mountains. A storm was coming this way and it sounded bigger than before. Auron looked back at Lulu, whom he could still see walking ahead of him. For him, a storm meant that it wasn't the time to tell Lulu the truth. Either Lulu heard that storm and couldn't care less about it or just didn't hear it at all. Either way, a storm wouldn't harm them both. She must have been used to the fact that storms this big comes to Presia every season so she had no reason to worry.  
  
Another thunderstorm rumbled. Auron looked longer towards the clouds this time and watched as the storm began to move towards the village. The wind blew heavily against him, almost pushing him back from the force, but Auron managed to keep his balance. The trees were swaying back and forth from another gust of wind that blew by. He looked up once more at the moving storm and he realized that the storm was moving faster than it should. He looked closer. The clouds weren't moving and he noticed that far beyond the forested area, the only thing moving was the ground. He realized it was more than just a storm. Before he could call out her name and tell her that it was no ordinary storm, Lulu was already inside. He looked back at the storm and sighed. Being in too many battles gave him a reason to be suspicious about everything. Taking a long deep breath, he decided that there WAS nothing to worry about. So, he turned and walked back inside the Inn. Lulu was already heading up the stairs when he stepped inside. He heard her say, 'goodnight,' before climbing up the steps to her room. A few seconds later, he heard her close the door of her bedroom.  
  
"Is there something the matter, Auron?" he heard a voice speak. Auron adjusted his eyes into the darkness and looked inside the living room. Clyre Mirkie was standing by the fireplace, just staring at the burning flames.   
  
The thunderstorms grew louder. "Does the storm get this strong every season?"  
  
Clyre looked up and nodded slowly. "Yes and there is nothing for you to worry about, Auron. We have dealt with storms this big before and we managed to escape with our lives."  
  
"Aye, he's right, doncha know, Auron?" came Mira's voice from the kitchen.  
  
Auron nodded. Both of them were right. He was just being paranoid, but something was just not right about that storm moving towards the village. "I just feel this is no ordinary storm, Clyre."  
  
Clyre shook his head and laughed. "You youngsters these days...worry too much about everything. You are in Presia, after all, a village where storms come and go all the time. You best be sleeping now and soon the storm will pass us and I assure you, it will never harm any of us."  
  
Auron stared at him for a moment, and then decided there was nothing for him to worry about. Nodding his head, he turned, said his 'goodnight' to both of them and left the room silently. He walked over to his side of the room and closed the door slowly. Despite Clyre's reassuring words, he couldn't help but have this odd feeling about the storm, that it was more than just thunderstorms and rain.  
*************************  
Lulu felt her heart sore the moment she felt him there, his arms around her, kissing her worries away. She looked up and gasped. She couldn't see his face. It was shadowed by the darkness and the only thing he could see of him was his silhouette moving with her. She could only feel his lips kissing the nape of her neck and his arms around her waist. There was no reason for her to doubt who it was, for her mind was stuck on one man. "Chappu..." she whispered.  
  
Suddenly, an earthquake woke up her up from her dream. The figure disappeared from her mind and she found herself back on her bed, the blankets pulled back away from her and her body filled with sweat. She sat up from her comfort zone and looked out the window. A large twister was coming her way and it was moving rather fast. Her eyes widened. Lulu wanted to jump out from her bed, but she couldn't move, as if the twister was pulling her towards it.   
  
It came closer...  
  
And closer...  
  
And closer...  
  
Until it was close enough that she felt its force ripping the window apart. The glass shattered into tiny pieces and the window completely broke off from the wall. She felt the twister now, pulling her harder. Lulu landed on the floor and crawled quickly towards the door and twisted the knob quickly with all her might. The moment she felt the door open, Lulu ran for cover, where she noticed Auron coming up the stairs, probably to get her. He held out his hand for her and Lulu reached out to take it, but before she could, the twister had completely ripped the second room in half and it was falling apart on top of her. The staircase was ripping apart as well, forcing her to stumble backwards. Auron hung on to the side, stretching his arm wider to take Lulu's weak hand before she could completely fall back.   
  
"Come on! We have to get out of here!" Auron yelled. He grabbed her and pulled her over the gap between the second floor and the first floor, then began dragging her behind him. He ran as fast as he could, Lulu trying to keep pace with him. She was not much of a runner, especially when she was wearing a long dress that reached the bottom of her ankles. She followed his stride and followed every move he made. He was leading her out the door, but, unfortunately, the front door was blocked from the outside. The trees must have fallen due to the strong winds. The swordsman looked around again for a shelter to hide, but there was no other place for them to go. They were trapped.  
  
"I know another place where we can go! It's a small storage place and I doubt we will be able to fit in, but it's the best I can think of to get shelter from the storm!" Lulu yelled over the noise of the storm. She couldn't understand why this storm was stronger than before. "There's a small door hidden underneath the carpet of the living room."  
  
As if reading her thoughts, Auron followed her instructions and ran with her to the living room. "This is no storm, Lulu. Can't you tell the difference between a storm and Sin?" He kneeled down quickly and pulled the corner of the carpet away. There, on the floor, just as Lulu had said, was a small door with an oval-shaped doorknob. Moving fast, he grabbed the doorknob and pulled as fast as she could. The small storage door opened and he turned to Lulu. "Come on, you first!"   
  
Lulu was still stuck with Auron's words about Sin. "Sin? That's impossible! Sin never comes this way! What about the people of this village? I have to go save them!" She started to get up, but Auron grabbed her hand and pulled her back down, shaking his head.  
  
"It's all right, I told Clyre and Mira to tell the others to find a safe place where they can go to hide from Sin. There is nothing for you to worry about. Right now, we have to worry about our lives. Come on you first!" Auron took her hand without permission and pulled her down inside the small storage room. The swordsman looked up quickly towards the storm. The large wind that Sin was forcing out had damaged all top half of the Inn.   
  
"Come on!" he heard Lulu yell.   
  
Auron looked down and nodded and joined her down inside the storage. Quickly, with all his might, he closed the door above them and saw nothing but darkness after that.   
  
Lulu felt Auron's heat from his body against her own. It was too dark to notice how close they were, but she could feel that they were rather too close for her own comfort. She wanted to back away, to have the space, but she couldn't. The area was too small. She remembered being small and she used to hide here when she played hide 'n' seek with Kai. Outside, she could hear the commotion. Sin was destroying everything in its path. Lulu closed her eyes. She prayed that no one in the village was hurt.   
  
Both her and Auron looked up, wondering how long it would take Sin to pass them.   
  
"Are you all right?" Auron asked, without looking at her.  
  
Lulu sighed and nodded. She closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. It took a couple of seconds to realize that there were no breathing holes in this storage room and that this room was far too small. She felt like this whole place was closing in on her. She began to panic. "I... Auron? I can't breathe..."  
  
Auron looked down at her in concern. "What are you talking about?" He couldn't see anything in the dark, so he couldn't tell how serious Lulu was.   
  
"I... I can't breathe in here. It's much too small." Lulu's voice was hollow.  
  
The swordsman placed a hand on her shoulder and frowned. "Just a couple more minutes, Lulu before Sin disappears. You need to hang on." He couldn't breathe either, but he didn't want to show it to her. He felt Lulu leaning towards him. Without thinking, he wrapped an arm around her and let her completely lean in towards his body. He felt her body against her own and for a moment, he felt comfort when he felt her. But... she was slowly fading away and so was he. "A couple more minutes Lulu... just a couple more minutes..." He gasped. He was losing air as well. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to jump in this small space in the first place. This could end their life, but they shouldn't give up. "We can't give up yet, Lulu. We can't die like this." He wrapped his arm tighter around her so she could lean in closer. He leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes.  
  
Lulu closed her eyes. She felt comfortable in Auron's arms, but she didn't need it. No matter how hard she told herself not to, she was falling towards Auron. She was getting weak and the longer they stayed inside, the weaker she'll be. She could tell Auron was getting weak as well, with his body leaning against the wall behind him.   
  
They could still hear the rumble of Sin outside, telling them it was not over yet. Auron shook his head and opened his eyes. He couldn't give up yet. Looking down, he noticed Lulu was no longer breathing. He shook her gently. "Hey, Lulu, not yet. You can't die on me here!"   
  
No respond.   
  
He shook her again. "Dammit, Lulu! This is the second time you've done this! What kind of Guardian are you just giving up easily! Yuna's counting on us to be BOTH alive!"  
  
"I'm the type of Guardian who will protect Yuna of course," Lulu replied with a weak voice. She leaned back, just a little bit away from Auron and looked up, her face pale and tired.  
  
Auron felt himself breathe a sigh of relief.   
  
"Sir Auron, I need to ask you a question," came Lulu's voice, stronger this time.  
  
"If it keeps us awake, of course," Auron replied.  
  
"You...(gasp) could have (gasp) gone with the others and saved yourself, yet you came back here to save me... why?" Lulu asked.  
  
The swordsman looked away. "Like I said before...(gasp) we Guardians must help each other." He looked up wearily and listened to the commotion outside and there was none.  
  
"I already knew that answer long before you did, Auron."  
  
"Then I will keep answering that same answer until you understand it." He didn't look at her when he answered, he was too preoccupied with realizing that Sin had passed them and it was time for them to get out so they could breathe. He slammed his hand against the door to open it, but it didn't budge. The small door would not respond to his pounds. "Dammit, the door must be blocked from the debris outside."  
  
Lulu stared at him suspiciously and sighed, giving up. He didn't answer her question. She watched as Auron took out his sword, trying desperately to open the door, but the sword was far too big for the room they were in. If he took it out, the sharp end would injure those around him, especially Lulu. He put the sword back in its sheath and weakly leaned back down. He closed his eyes and felt his heart beating faster. He was losing air quickly.   
  
Tiredly, Lulu looked up and put her palms towards the door. "Here, I'm going to cast fire to burst it open." She was getting weak as well and if she used too much fire, then she will burn out. Lulu suddenly felt a warm hand on one of her wrists.  
  
"Don't..." Auron spoke quietly. "It's far too dangerous for you to use that here. It could heat up the whole place and it would really kill us."  
  
Lulu put her arm back down and sighed, opening her mouth slightly to breathe.  
  
Auron looked back up. "We have to wait until someone comes looking for us."  
  
Lulu closed her eyes and frowned. Suddenly, a pang of pain hit her. She was losing air quickly as well. Once again, the Black Mage leaned forward, getting weak and she looked for Auron to support her from her fall. As if reading her mind, Auron held out his hands to her and grabbed her shoulders to keep her steady.   
  
"We have to keep our eyes open until they find us." Auron told her.  
  
But Lulu was far too weak to understand what he was talking about. With one last breath, Lulu stumbled forward and closed her eyes, her head making contact with Auron's chest. Auron caught her by surprise and wrapped an arm around her once again to support her weight. He knew he was also getting weak and sooner or later, he was going to join Lulu in the process. He held on tightly to Lulu and looked up. With one weak hand, he clenched his fists and pounded on the door, then, with his last strength, he yelled, "CAN SOMEBODY HEAR US?! WE'RE DOWN HERE! SOMEONE! WE'RE DOWN AT THE STORAGE ROOM! Someone... get...us..." Auron felt his eyes getting heavier and before he knew it, all he saw was darkness. 'At least we're together on this,' he thought, before he felt his body fading away.  
  
  
*********************   
"What's that? Is that SIN?!"   
  
Rikku and Cess both looked up at the same time. They stared at Wakka curiously. "Wakka, what are you talking about?" Rikku asked, standing up. They have been on the hill for at least thirty-eight hours now, making camp just nearby so they could sleep. They were waiting for her father's call from the ship, waiting for his orders on what to do. And for that, they have waited for those long hours.   
  
The tall Blitzball captain pointed down below and just far into the distance towards the center of the forest. They noticed dark storm clouds and a large, flying creature hovering just above the trees. It was moving towards a hidden village that they hadn't seen before. Wakka turned back towards the two women and gave them a face of despair. "Sin is gonna destroy that village over there."  
  
Rikku quickly stood up, wide-eyed. "We have to help them!" She started to run towards the direction of Sin, but Cess had grabbed her hand before she could go. The blond girl turned around and eyed her suspiciously. "What are you doing? Let go! We have to go help those people down there!"  
  
Cess shook her head. "We're waiting for your father's signal, are we not? Sin can wait."  
  
Rikku frowned. "Don't you have any heart?! Those people are going to die because of Sin and we can't just sit here and watch them get killed!" She jerked her arm away from the older woman and began running down the slopes.  
  
"Rikku!" Cess called.   
  
Wakka looked back at her and shrugged. "She is right, ya? We can't just sit here and do nothing.' Beating Sin isn't the only reason we fight. We do it to save the lives that are suffering because of it." With that said, he turned and ran after Rikku.  
  
Cess sat there for a moment, thinking about what Wakka said. Why would they fight for people weaker than them? All her life, she has fought to survive and whoever got in her way, no matter how old or how young they were, she would still continue on without looking back or hesitate. She has learned that... as a swordsman and as an assassin.  
  
GoodGurl: WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! It took me so long to finish even though it's not that long of a chapter, but I was far too tired or too lazy or too busy for that matter to finish the ninth chapter! Sorry you AurLulu fans out there! I didn't mean to make you wait! ^_^; 


	10. I Wish I Never Knew

Note: Hi all! Sorry for making you wait for the update on this story. Where have all my AuroLulu fans gone? :( Come on now! ^_^ Anyways, we last left off with Sin passing by the village where Lulu and Auron were. We also last left off with the two trapped in a small little storage room so they can keep out of Sin's way. And hey! Cid's out there in the storm now, but what happened to him when Sin came by? :S Are Yuna and Tidus safe as well? Wakka and Rikku are also heading their way towards the village, so hey they could see Auron and Lulu! However, will they make it on time before Lulu and Auron lose air? And what aboout Kai? Where is he? :S  
  
Chapter 10 - I Wish I Never Knew  
  
It seemed like forever the village has been ransacked by the deadly force of their number one enemy of the world. It travelled in a speeding light and was ten times larger than a normal whale. It was the living nightmare. The hellmouth of the world. It was Sin. Auron opened his eyes and breathe in air again. For a moment, he had collapsed, but as he looked around, he could hear mumbling voices behind him and that's when he knew, he was alive again. It took him a couple more seconds to realize that he was back outside, on a very uncomfortable bed beneath him.   
  
"Are ye all right, Auron?" said a familiar voice.  
  
The swordsman looked up to see the familiar face of Clyre Mirkie, the man who was kind enough to give them room in their Inn, while giving them work in return, in exchange for paying for the rooms. For the last two days, Auron and Lulu felt welcomed in their home. His mind suddenly wandered towards Lulu. The last time he was with her was being trapped inside the small storage, trying to breathe until they were found. Auron sat up, his head swirling in colors. He placed a hand on his temple, still feeling nausea running through his body and looked around slowly. People, he figured, that lived in this village were all staring at him, some with worried faces, some with curious looks, wondering who this man was.   
  
"Where is Lulu?" he finally asked, after having the difficulty to speak from his dry mouth.   
  
"She will be fine. She is resting at the moment," came a woman's voice. Auron looked up. A woman, around Lulu's age stepped in through a room to his right. She closed the room she entered from behind her and approached the man cautiously. He could tell the young woman was suspicious with the man, but through her eyes, she was trying her best not to be. She glanced at Clyre Mirkie, then back at Auron. "My name is Elya Seagon," she said, lifting up her hand towards him.  
  
Auron shook her hand. "My name is Auron. What is Lulu's condition?" He stared into her eyes, hoping against hopes that black mage did not have any internal injuries or anything deadly consume her. When red haired woman blinnked and smiled reassuringly, the swordsman was relieved. "Can I see her?" Despite her looks of reassurance, he was still concerned for her. He has almost lost her twice.  
  
Elya shook her head. "I do not think that is possible at the moment, though I assure you Auron that Lulu will be all right. As of now, she needs time to rest."  
  
The man wanted to protest, but Clyre's hand had stopped him from continuing. He looked up, watching as the older man shook his head. Auron looked back at the woman and noticed her back to him. She went to the other door, which seemed to be the exit and never looked back before she left. "Who was that woman, Clyre? She seems to know a lot about...things." Her attitude irritated him. She was cold and very inexpressive about anything.   
  
Clyre laughed, removing his hand from the younger man's shoulder. "She is one of the renowned doctors here in Presia. She used to be one of Lulu's good friends."  
  
"Used to?" Auron never thought Lulu had so many friends. He knew that during her younger days, Lulu HAD friends, but never in his life had he imagined her to have the whole village being her friends. He might not know the whole truth, but he guessed that Lulu lost her friends since she movied out of the village and into Besaid.   
  
"Aye," Clyre replied, startling Auron from his thoughts suddenly. He had forgotten Clyre was still answering his question earlier. "She USED to be friends with Elya Seagon, the late Dr. Bryce Seagon's daughter. She USED to be friends with all the children here in Presia when she was young, but..." He paused, unsure if he should continue. It certainly wasn't his place to tell someone else about this, when it was Lulu's job to do so. "I don't think I should say anything more."  
  
Auron nodded patiently. He wanted to know more about Lulu's past, but he figured he should ask her himself. Lulu was certainly a mysterious woman. In some ways, he didn't care about Lulu's past and wouldn't care if Lulu didn't tell him if he asked her, because it wasn't his place to know, but in other ways, he wanted to know more about the mysterious black mage. Maybe there was something in her past that could help him beat Kai in their next match, in case he comes to Presia. Auron knew it would be a matter of time before Kai realizes they were here in Presia. Sighing deep into his throat, Auron slid himself down on the floor, feeling the cold concrete against his bare feet and began walking slowly towards the door where he knew Lulu was resting in. He shivered, feeling something cold sweep around his bare neck and chest that appeared suddenly out of nowhere. He almost staggered forward; his head still throbbing in pain from his experience inside the small storage room with no room for breathing. He was just an inch towards the door, when he felt that same large hand he felt earlier on his shoulder.   
  
"Didn'tcha hear Elya tell ye that Lulu was resting right now?"  
  
Auron frowned. "I will not disturb her, Clyre. I just want to make sure she's really back."  
  
"Why would ye want te do that?" Clyre stared at him curiously.  
  
The swordsman turned around, looking over the taller man's shoulder in a trance. "Because...because I lost hope when we were inside that storage and couldn't get out. Clyre, I almost lost her twice already and I just want to make sure that she wasn't gone for good. I want proof that she's still here."  
  
Clyre took a deep breath. He had no choice. He reluctantly released his hand on Auron's shoulder and watched the man slowly opening the door. Looking back at the taller man, Auron breathed a 'thank you' to him, before he went inside, closing the door behind him. The swordsman was relieved to find that Lulu WAS there and that she hasn't left his side at all. He wanted to see her so badly, what with all the near death experiences she had so far. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if one of the Guardians died just by protecting herself, instead of protecting the one they're supposed to watch over. He approached her silently and examined her for a while, before sitting down on the bed lightly beside her. The bright sunlight cast a shadow on her secretive face and her long, dark hair cascaded down on the small, white pillow. Her eyes were closed, which was too bad, because Auron was quite eager to see her eyes and wonder what she was thinking. It was impossible for him to guess what she was thinking without the constant changes of her dark pupils. He lifted up a hand to touch her face, but quickly withdrew it.   
  
She stirred and for a moment, all Auron could do was stay frozen in fear of her knowing he was there. He was expecting Lulu to be asleep still so he could watch her and touch her to make sure she WAS there with him. She turned her head towards the door. Auron was ready to bolt out of there, but Lulu's gaze had stopped him from going anywhere. Lulu smiled and stretched only a little, then sat up from bed.  
  
"Hello, Sir Auron," Lulu spoke quietly.  
  
Auron sighed silently and relaxed back in the chair. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"  
  
"Not at all," Lulu replied, putting her feet down on the floor. She shivered when she felt the cold surface of the floor touching her bare skin. Suddenly, Lulu felt waves of nausea and her dark eyes were surrounded by swirls of bright colors. Lulu leaned forward, but Auron was quick enough to catch her.   
  
"You should be resting, Lulu," Auron whispered in her ear as he leaned her back against the bed, but the Black Mage shook her head and forced herself up from Auron's attemps to let her rest and quickly stood up. As stubborn as she was, Auron admired her strenght and her willingness to fight on even the worse possible things. However, even the strongest, even those who has faced many dangers in their lives fell back. Lulu stumbled forward once again and once again Auron was there to catch her fall. "Why don't you listen to me, Lulu?" This time, Auron's voice held a concern for the Black Mage.   
  
Lulu looked up, feeling warm in Auron's arms. Their eyes met for a moment and their faces were just inches apart, when something interrupted that moment. Both Black Mage and Swordsman broke apart and looked out the window. Two familiar voices were calling out. "Hello!? Is anyone there!? Is anyone hurt?" Lulu recognized the voice as Rikku.  
  
"Hey! If you're injured, just moan or something, ya!?" Auron knew that voice was Wakka's.  
  
Lulu and Auron looked at each other. "That's them right?" Lulu asked, making sure she wasn't dreaming.  
  
Auron nodded. "I think so." With his help, Auron wrapped one arm around Lulu's waist to keep her steady and the two walked back to the main area of the bomb shelter and joined the other villagers, who obviously heard the voices and were beginning to feel terrified, especially the young children. Clyre was standing by the door, looking out the window, wondering who these strangers were. "It's all right, Clyre. They are friends of ours," Auron told him.  
  
Clyre looked over her shoulder. He gave Auron an expression of suspicion and then it quickly softened to a reassuring look.  
  
Knock! Knock!  
  
All heads turned towards the door.  
  
"Hello in there? Is someone there?" came a third voice they didn't hear before.  
  
Auron immediately recognized it to be Cess.' Taking a deep breath, Auron led Lulu towards Clyre so he can answer the door and was greeted by a sharp sword the moment he opened the metallic entrance.   
  
"Is this one of ye friends, Auron?" Clyre asked.   
  
All Lulu could do was stare at the unfamiliar woman who had her sword pinned against Auron's neck. The woman quickly withdrew the sword and looked at Auron, then at the people inside the building. The Swordsman rubbed his neck where the sword ALMOST cut throught and stared at her firmly. "Is this how you treat your friends these days, Cess?"  
  
Cess sighed, putting her sword back in its sheath. "Well, you could have at least warned me that you were no enemy the moment you opened the door."  
  
"AURON!" Cess was later joined by Rikku, Wakka and an ever so silent Kimahri, who found their way back to where they came from. The energetic blond girl, out of excitement for finding their two friends, wrapped her arms around the taller man and smiled. Auron hugged her back awkwardly. He has never seen Rikku THIS happy before. Without a moment too soon, Rikku pulled back and looked at Auron up and down. "What happened to you?"  
  
Auron shrugged and quietly replied, "Been through hell."  
  
Rikku laughed at Auron's joke, though the Swordsman didn't think it was. She looked at Lulu, who was hanging on to a middle aged man. She lifted an eyebrow curiously, glancing at the man beside her, but shook it off and went upto her to hug the Black Mage. Lulu was glad to see her friends again, but Rikku, despite her act of kindness, was really crushing her rib. "Ri...kk....u....." she gasped.  
  
The blond girl felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and found Auron shaking his head. "Why? What's wrong, Lulu?" she asked, glancing back at the older woman.  
  
Lulu couldn't answer, because she was trying to get her breathing back and when she did, she tried looking up with warm eyes, but ended up darkly than usual. "Don't hug me too tight," she simply answered. "You were cutting circulation to my lungs."  
  
"Oh." She blushed. "Sorry," Rikku said, grinning. "I guess I got too excited." She stepped aside to let Wakka in. The large man shook Auron's hand instead of giving him a bear hug and approached Lulu cautiously. For a long time they have known each other, Wakka knew when or when not to close the space in her personal privacy. With that warning, however, Wakka couldn't help but wrap his large arms around her, glad that she, of all people was okay. Lulu awkwardly hugged her back, unsure how to react to this new behaviour. She was surprised that for a big man like him, he hugged gentler than a bear, unlike the smaller girl who could squeeze an eye out.   
  
"Lu, it's good to see you again! Two days missing!?" Wakka looked at Auron and grinned. "I mean, what were you thinking Auron?"  
  
Auron could only shrug as he smiled beneath his collar. "Sorry I was late."  
  
Kimahri just stayed outside and nodded at the two, glad that they were safe.   
  
"Nice to see you too, Kimahri," Auron spoke.  
  
"What's going on here?" a new voice, one that Auron has never heard before around the village, echoed. All heads turned to the direction of a short man, roughly around his forties with balding, brown hair. None of the newcomers said anything, not even the two people who have stayed in the village for two days. They were as curious as the other three who have just arrived. The man held an angered expression that Auron and Lulu swore they've seen before.  
  
For a moment, all was silent, when Clyre finally spoke. "Mayor Moris! We apologize for this noise. Two of my friends have found their companions here."  
  
Lulu held her breath. Mayor Moris, she thought.  
  
The short bald man glanced at the six men and women he has never seen before all his life, except maybe for one that he vaguely recognized. "Well, are they able bodies?" he asked only Clyre in particular.  
  
"Pardon me?" Rikku asked curiously. Able bodies?  
  
"What I mean, young girl, is that if you are all to stay in this village, I expect you all to share your strenghts in rebuilding this small village," Moris replied.   
  
"Now, now, darling, I believe our visitors would want to eat first before they start working," a woman's voice spoke up. All heads had their attention this time towards a woman, who was Lulu's age and by the looks of the large rock on her finger, this was the Mayor's wife. She had, short reddish-brown hair and the brightest green eyes Lulu has ever seen on a woman so fit and young. She smiled at all six newcomers, linking her arms with her husband and nodded at them. "My name is Nune Shamer, Mayor Moris' wife." One hand seem to automatically move to her stomach, which everyone realized was obviously too large for the clothes she was wearing. Lulu rarely saw pregnant women these days. "This baby, who will soon be born, is Sonya... a girl." She gave another contagious smile. "Now!" She turned and looked behind her towards the villagers who were eating. Some, Auron noticed, were already gone ready to help fix the village. "Why don't you all eat first and worry about the village later? Some of the men have already started working on it, but first thing first....eat!"  
  
"Yes! I'm hungry!" Rikku gasped, running to a nearby table, which was the only one still full of delicious food.   
  
Wakka followed her, joining the blond girl at the same table and he sat across from her. The girl was already chewing on a large chunk of chicken that she put on her own plate. The Blitzball player shook his head in disbelief. "You're always hungry!"  
  
Rikku looked at him and shrugged. "So?" she replied with a full mouth.  
  
Wakka grimaced at the sight and took a piece of the half eaten full grown chicken in front of him, then bit on a large chunk, then began chewing on it. Kimahri and Cess joined them wordlessly and ate their own share of food they served themselves. Clyre led Lulu to the same table, helping her to sit down on a seat beside Cess, who was still a stranger to the Black Mage. Auron made sure Lulu was safely back inside and when he was certain, he turned and left to help the villagers with the damage done by Sin.   
  
Everyone else was too busy eating, but Lulu, eating only a few portions of the large amount of food on the table, was the first one to notice Auron gone. She looked around for him and found the Swordsman outside, helping put up a broken window with hammer and nails. The Black Mage, feeling a bit better from the nausea, went out to join him. She found Auron with his back to her, on top of a ladder, too busy hammering a single nail at the top side of a window sill to notice Lulu coming out. She stood there, watching him for a while, until he stopped and, without looking back, held out his hand to her.  
  
"Could you hand me another nail please?" he said, holding the window back to keep it steady and straight.  
  
Lulu did as she was told, looked around and found the box of large nails behind her on a chair. She picked one up and handed it to Auron. For a moment their hands touched, she felt electricity run through her.   
  
As if feeling it too, Auron finally turned around, wondering what made him quiver so much and noticed Lulu standing there. "Lulu?" Surprised, Auron almost fell back, but Lulu held unto his legs to keep him steady. Thankful for Lulu being there, he sighed in relief, sweat dropping at the sides of his temple, embarrassingly. "Thanks," he mumbled.  
  
The Black Mage nodded. "No problem." She quickly withdrew her hand from him, unaware that she has been staring at him for the longest time.   
  
Auron turned away, turning back to his work, trying not to get distracted and pound the hammer into his fingers instead of the nails. Lulu turned around, hoping to find other ways to distract herself instead of the Swordsman hammering and indeed found something. She saw a woman, with curly brown hair, lifting up a tray with glass filled lemonade, while at the same time, juggling with a basket full of muffins in her right arm. It looks as though she was having trouble, so Lulu approached her, lending out a hand to catch a muffin that fell out of the wicker basket.   
  
"Oh, thank you dear!" the woman said, greatfully smiling up at the dark haired beauty.  
  
Lulu nodded, putting the muffin back inside the basket. "May I help you with that?" she asked, tilting her head towards the tray that the older woman was having trouble balancing in her arms. The woman, glad with the younger woman's help, accepted her offer and handed the tray slowly to her. Lulu accepted it and, as if natural with it, held the tray with so much ease and confidence. "Where do I take it?"  
  
The woman smiled, amazed by her talent. "You just take it to all the men who are working hard and seem to need a few drinks or two. My name is Vlia, by the way."  
  
"Oh," was all Lulu could say. "Hello, Vlia. My name is Lulu." The Black Mage has never seen this woman before. She looked around, hoping to offer someone a drink so she had something to do, instead of standing there acting like an idiot, but with no such luck. Almost everyone seem to have gotten drinks with them and were getting refilled everytime it was gone by other women who were doing the same job as Vlia. Lulu noticed the differences between the Presia of today from the Presia of her past. There were many people she didn't recognize during her childhood, including Vlia. The last time she remembered, there were no children running around her childhood home. Because of that, Presia was worldly known as a village of 'death,' metaphorically speaking, because somehow, couples who wanted children, weren't able to have any. Lulu and Kai were the first children in the village and then followed by Elya, her other friend (whom she became enemies with). After that, when she left, from what Clyre had told her about, many children were instantly born.   
  
"Could I have a lemonade?" came a deep voice from behind her.  
  
Startled, Lulu immediately turned, almost toppling all of the lemonade glass on the ground, but the Black Mage, quick to her senses, was able to balance it out on the tray. She found herself face to face with Auron, who seemed amused with her act of 'balancing the lemonade glass.' Noticing him trying not to smirk, Lulu frowned. "Is there something you find funny about what I just did, Sir Auron?"  
  
Auron shook his head, erasing the amused look from his face and glanced at the drinks. "No, but I was wondering if I could have a lemonade."  
  
Lulu nodded, lifting up a hand to give a glass to Auron, who took it gently and drank it with one gulp. Amazed at his thirst, Lulu watched as the tall man downed it quickly and put the empty glass back on the tray. "Sir Auron, empty glasses do not belong on the tray, thank you," she spoke, coldly.  
  
As if laughing was one of his habits these days, Auron chuckled and picked the empty glass back up in his hands and nodded. "Yes, of course." He turned around and went back to his work place near the window sill. Lulu, confused by what just happened, watched him wait for another woman refill his glass. This time, Auron did not drink it quickly. He went back to work again, thanked the woman who refilled his glass with orange juice and began hammering more nails against the wooden window.  
  
Lulu sighed, turned and searched for more customers for her lemonade and when no one else would want anymore, she put the tray down on a table she didn't know was there and walked back inside the sheltered building. It was far too hot for her to stay long. She felt beads of sweat trickle down from her forehead and around the sides of her face. The Black Mage wiped them away with a swipe of her arms and noticed the same woman with Rikku, Wakka and Kimahri earlier, sitting on the same chair she was sitting earlier for lunch. She joined her, sitting across from the brown haired woman. "I don't believe we've been introduced..." Lulu spoke out.  
  
Cess looked up and nodded, showing her a single hand to shake. "My name is Cess Marjorie. We were introduced...only a little. I was the one who was beaten badly back when I was fighting with...Kai..." She paused, looking up as the Black Mage's face wrinkled in dissatisfaction. "I see you hate it too to hear HIS name?"  
  
The Black Mage said nothing and slowly nodded in agreement. "I guess we're both in the same page. What happened after that?"  
  
"I was taken back into your ship, but I left for I did not need their help. I almost had Kai, but he.... he disappeared."  
  
Lulu's eyes widened. "So you're telling me he's not dead?"  
  
Cess frowned, turning away. "I'm afraid so."  
  
"I see..."  
  
"Hey, hey don't fret now, Lu, ya?" spoke a voice. Both women looked up to find Wakka appearing from behind the same door Lulu went through and joined the two women in the table. He stared worriedly at Lulu's frightened face. "Don't worry. Since we're all here, we're going to gang up on him and beat him to the pulp!" He slammed a fist down on the ground, making Cess flinch.  
  
Lulu's face showed little emotion to what seemed like a joke to Waka and stood up. "Who says anything about you all being involved? I've said this many times that this is my fight and said many times that this has nothing to do with any of you! If Kai is looking for me and me alone, then I'll be the one to take him on. If any of you get hurt then-"  
  
"Then it's our own fault for not taking care of you enough," Auron's voice echoed, interrupting her. Lulu swiftly turned around, her face furrowing into an even harder scowl. She didn't understand it. Why is he pushing himself to help her? "Lulu, if you're worried about us getting hurt..."   
  
The Black Mage turned away, refusing to make eye contact with her. "I'm not worried about you getting hurt! I..."  
  
"Then what are you worried about, Lu?" Wakka asked, standing up.  
  
"I..." Bravely, Lulu looked up and for a moment there, she stared into Auron's eyes. As if in slow motion, Auron noticed hints of shining tears in Lulu's eyes as she turned and fled from the scene before her. Cess noticed it as well, knowing full well what kind of look Lulu had given Auron. It was the same look Cess gave to Auron when she begged him to stay with her and when he didn't, she turned and left, just as Lulu had done.  
  
"Woah! What was that about, ya?" Wakka spoke after watching the Black Mage leave quickly. He scratched the top of his head confusingly and looked at the other two, who seemed to know what just happaned. "Do you know what happened there?"  
  
Auron said nothing. He turned around and left. "Auron?" Wakka called. He looked at Cess, who just bowed her head, speechless. "What's going on here?" Wakka asked outloud to no one in particular.  
  
'You don't wanna know,' Cess thought. 'I wish I never knew.'  
  
  
GoodGurl: SORRY SORRY SORRY for making you wait for a month! Has it really been a month? O_O YIKES! *runs away from tomatoes bring thrown her way.* Eh heh heh! ^_^; Anyways, I promise to commit myself to this fic, it's just that I was running out of ideas at that time and didn't know to continued it! Well, anyways hope you like dis fic! So, everyones happy that they found each other. And it seems like Cess still has feelings for our dear Lulu's Auron. Uh oh...does dis mean GoodGurl will have a love triangle or a love square? Heh heh! Maybe! ;) And questions still remains....where is Kai? o_O Even I'm not sure yet! ^_^; 


	11. The Paths We Choose

Note: Hi all! Where have my Auron/Lulu fans gone? :( Ders far too many Aurikku fans....*shudder* sowwie to those who are offended by my words, but I prefer Auron and Lulu! Der! Hah! I said it! *Ahem* Anyway........ On with the story!  
  
  
  
Chapter 11 - The Paths We Choose   
  
  
  
Why had she run earlier? What was the point? It wasn't like she had any feelings for Auron...  
  
Or did she?  
  
Lulu let her hands trail down on her lap as she sat on the field, watching the wind blow aside the tall grasses and the yellow daises that had fallen dead from Sin's attack. She knew she had to help the villagers, but she wasn't quite ready to face Auron just yet after that humiliating performance she just had earlier. Much as she'd like to admit it.... she WANTED to, so she could get rid of this mixed feeling for the Swordsman.   
  
"May I join you?" came a voice from behind.  
  
The Black Mage didn't need to turn around to know who it was that spoke. She didn't need to answer either to agree with him joining her. He sat anyway, even without her consent. She felt a slight, thud as he sat on the grass beside her. "I apologize for earlier, Sir Auron," she spoke.   
  
Auron glanced at her in the corner of his eyes and shook his head, his eyes watching a female deer and her fawn prancing across the grass, then disappear behind the forest ahead. "You don't need to apologize for something so normal, Lulu. I can understand that you're worried about your friends getting hurt, but you must understand, that it's a human's intuition to help those in need, even those who don't need it."  
  
They were quiet for a while, until Lulu spoke again. "I guess I can never stop you from doing what you want, can I?" With courage, she looked directly at Auron, with an awkward smile on her face. "No matter what I say..."  
  
"We will still continue to help each other," Auron said, finishing her sentence.   
  
"But what I don't understand Sir Auron is...you..."  
  
The Swordsman lifted a single eyebrow, watching her intently. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean... why do you go all this way, even almost killing yourself to help me? Even when you don't need to, you still do...." She looked away when Auron didn't say a word, but continued to stare at her with his now bare eyes. The sunglasses he usually wore had completely disappeared.  
  
Auron turned away, a slight hint of redness coloring his cheeks, but luckily, he was able to brush it off the moment he spoke again, making Lulu look back at him with her curious stares. "I just like to help you out. Like I said many times, Lulu, Guardians must stick together. Where would Yuna be without you?"  
  
Lulu shook her head, frowning. "You really think Yuna needs me that much?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
The Black Mage stared at the Swordsman with doubts in her mind. She didn't know why she was already comfortable talking with the usual silent warrior. Three days ago, Lulu would feel awkward sitting or standing alone with just Auron. They didn't know how to interact with each other, because they were similar, yet quite different in a way.   
  
Sighing, Lulu nodded. "Thank you, Sir Auron. But you never really answered my question. I know that you answered it to me before, but...just why? I don't understand."   
  
Auron stood up and brushed off imaginary dirt. He took a few steps, stopping just beside a single tree in the meadows and glanced over his shoulder, his mouth covered by his large, round collar around his neck. "Because Lulu I care for you." Without giving Lulu a chance to answer back, he quickly left.   
  
Lulu watched him go, shocked by his words, though quite confused about them. He cared about her? What did he mean? she thought. Did it mean what she thought he meant? Or was it something else that didn't mean anything at all? People say those things to their 'friends,' but Lulu and Auron didn't really consider each other as, 'friends,' just two Guardians protecting the same person. She blinked, shaking the thoughts away. Thinking about it too much was giving her a headache. She watched the same doe and fawn they saw earlier sprinting away from the forest and paused just in front of her, to take a break to eat from the tall grasses. The fawn ran around for a while, prancing at a butterfly it curiously noticed flying around. The mother watched closely, while at the same time, took some bites from the green pasture. Lulu sat still, watching both, wondering how they could be so carefree after Sin destroyed their forest? That thought, for some reason, made her think of Kai's whereabouts. It's been at least two days ago since he appeared in her life once again and after that, after escaping from him, she hasn't really seen much of him lately.  
  
  
  
**********************  
  
  
  
They held each other for a while, warming each other with their body heat. Yuna felt comfortable around Tidus as they slept through the night, hoping that when they wake up the next morning, the storm would be gone.   
  
As if by magic with their minds, when Yuna woke up the next morning, indeed, the storm calmed down. It was replaced by the beautiful, rare sunshine hovering far into the clouds. She nudged Tidus awake and stood up, releasing herself from her boyfriend's arms. She stretched and yawned, making her way towards the entrance. The sun glared down on her, so she had to block the sun with her arms as she peered out in the fresh, open air.   
  
Another wonderful thing when storms appear in the middle of the night...   
  
It left behind a fresh morning to wake up to.  
  
Yuna stretched once again and her eyes traveled from one bush to an odd looking one just near it. She squinted her eyes and focused her eyes closer to that bush.   
  
It was no ordinary bush, because it was moving.  
  
The young Summoner approached the object, slowly--ever so slowly--her hands with a vice grip around Lulu's Moogle doll, as if it could help her defend herself in case the object was a type of monster that might attack her at any moment.   
  
To her relief, it was no monster, but her panic has not disappeared, for the object was a body... a man's body with his back to her. Yuna approached it cautiously and kneeled down to check his pulse, but suddenly yelped when he began to move.   
  
Her short squeak must have gotten Tidus' attention, because seconds later, he was at her side, wondering what was wrong. Yuna pointed at the body below them and Tidus was suddenly hesitant to look at whose body it was.   
  
He suddenly pulled Yuna behind him and clenched his fists defensively.  
  
"What are you doing, Tidus?" Yuna asked, curiously.  
  
Tidus pointed to the body. "You know who that is, Yuna? That's Kai!" he whispered hoarsely.  
  
Yuna gasped.   
  
The body groaned, then began to move. Yuna and Tidus prepared for battle, but all they received was a weak body trying to get up, but couldn't. He moaned, tried to use his arms as his lever, but failed again, falling back flat on the ground. It took a moment for the couple to realize that he was harmless, but despite that, only Yuna had the courage to move. Tidus tried to pull her back to safety, but the female Summoner just shrugged his arm off and approached the body carefully. With all her might, her heart beating loudly, she turned the body over to face him. To her shock, the Kai they saw before them, was pale and very injured, as Yuna noted to the large gash on his shoulder and on both his left arms. She looked over her shoulder and frowned.   
  
"He's injured..." Yuna spoke out. "Help me lift him up to shelter."  
  
Tidus frowned. "What? Are you joking? He nearly killed all of us and he would still be killing us if he was not injured, Yuna!"  
  
Yuna didn't look at him, as she answered, "No, I'm not joking and yes I understand that he wants to kill us and would to if he was standing, but would you really strike a man who was down? Would we really stoop to his level?"  
  
The blond hesitated for a moment, then realized that Yuna made a point. He didn't want to be like the red haired man who had no mercy for any living being, except Lulu, which was a bad thing of course. Kai's obsession was more dangerous than passionate. If anyone, as he witnessed, were to stand in between him and Lulu, he'll receive a very brutal death, even if she was a woman or a child. "Damn..." he muttered, kneeling down to help Yuna lift Kai up on his feet.  
  
"Let go of me..." Kai mumbled.  
  
"Shut up, you should be thankful we're helping you, instead of killing you," Tidus said, dragging the injured man towards the cave they took refuge in. Yuna was struggling with the man's weight on the other side, but was trying her best not to look weak.  
  
"You pathetic weaklings....*mumble* I can easilly kill you *mumble* with my magic power and......."   
  
Yuna looked up and noticed Kai's eyes were closed. "He's unconscious now."  
  
"Good! That would shut him up!"  
  
"It's not a good thing if we want him alive."  
  
"Why would we want him alive?"  
  
"Because maybe he can change his ways if we do."  
  
Tidus sighed. "What are you trying to do, Yuna? Make him change his mind about going after Lulu? I don't think an evil man would quickly do that. You can't just make him feel better and make him think, 'oh! thank you so much for helping me, maybe I'll be a good person now!'"   
  
Yuna frowned at the blonde's sarcastic remarks. "You know, Tidus, you should really give people a chance to live. I know you're not like that... killing off someone while they're vulnerable. Would you really be able to kill someone, even when you have them in their grasp?"  
  
The blond thought for a moment. She was right. He wasn't like that. He hated killing people...good or evil. "You know me too much!" Tidus spoke, grinning.  
  
The summoner sighed, noting that Tidus has finally realized it. She had to admit, at first, she was about to agree to Tidus to leave Kai outside, injured....bleeding... but she just wasn't that type of person. She couldn't stand the thought of blood, or anything that resembles violence. Together, they dragged the unconscious Black Mage back to the cave. Although he was a tall, lanky man with, odd looking red hair, Kai was not much of a trouble to carry. Tidus, despite his age, was a strong person and Yuna, herself, wasn't branded as weak either. They carried Kai off into the cave without having to stop for a few breaths.  
  
  
  
***********************  
  
  
  
Darkness.  
  
Her best friend.  
  
It had finally hovered above the skies.   
  
She realized, now was the time for her to have a conversation with the Swordsman.   
  
The whole day, Lulu wasn't able to have alone time with Auron, or had the courage to go up to him and ask him for a little alone time, because the whole day, he, and others who were helping rebuild the village, were far too busy. That would mean, Rikku and Wakka would find it odd if she just wanted to speak with Auron alone.   
  
No.  
  
After a lot of struggling with her thoughts, she decided to speak with him at night.  
  
Where her emotions were usually hidden underneath the blanket of darkness.   
  
She also knew, after observing Auron's sleeping habits, that he would be awake in the middle of the night and would not complain to anything if she knocked on the door to his room. If he wasn't in his room, then he would be practicing with his sword outside in the yard.   
  
Lulu crept through the hallway, glad that the stairs were no longer squeaking to give herself away as she tip toed down to Auron's bedroom. The Inn was the first thing the villagers repaired, because it had the most damage and Lulu was even gladder that they did. She didn't want to share any rooms with Rikku or Cess... both were probably good roommates, but she would rather have her own room. By the looks of Cess, Lulu figured she wanted to have her own room as well.   
  
When she made it in front of her door, Lulu paused and was beginning to have second thoughts. Why did she need to talk to him? She doubted Auron would listen, but she was curious about what he said this afternoon. Did he mean what he said? Was the only reason she was standing here right now in the middle of the night in front of his door, was because she was starting to have feelings for the quiet man?  
  
She clenched and unclenched her fists a few times, before finally lifting up her hands to knock on the door, but something stopped her.   
  
Something was not right. Although Auron was a quiet man and had no reason to be noisy in the middle of the night, Lulu felt something odd about the door. The Black Mage looked down and realized that the door, was indeed, opened, just enough so she could see through the small slit that it created. Inside, she heard some voices too. Not just Auron's...but also someone else.  
  
A woman's voice.  
  
Lulu leaned close enough to hear everything, yet far enough, careful not to lean against the door to give herself away.   
  
"What are you doing here?" Auron whispered.  
  
Lulu felt her heart skip a beat. She has never felt this bad for a man before, ever since Chappu. When he spoke, even it wasn't towards her, the Black Mage felt like her legs were going to give out and sink her to the bottom of the floor.   
  
"I'm here to tell you something, Auron..." the other voice spoke.  
  
The Black Mage frowned. Now she knows who the other voice was.  
  
Cess.  
  
What was going on here?  
  
"What?" Lulu could hear Auron was getting impatient.   
  
"Auron I.... I still have feelings for you and when you and that woman had that conversation earlier about edangering your lives for her, I saw something of myself when she looked at you."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Auron looked at her, lifting a single eyebrow curiously.  
  
"I'm talking about that woman's feelings. Don't you see how much she cares for you? That was the same feeling I had when you left me behind to be Braska's Guardian. I want to be with you."  
  
Auron gave a rare smirk towards Cess. "Do you realize what you're saying, Cess? You want to bring back the past...is that it?"  
  
Cess slowly nodded. "If that's what it takes to be with you, then so be it." She wrapped her arms around him, lifting her head up towards the tall man. Auron stared long and hard into her eyes.   
  
But, Lulu turned away. She's had enough of listening to the conversation. She doesn't want to know what would happen next. Auron CLEARLY still had feelings for Cess, because he wasn't turning away from her. If he didn't, Auron would easilly remove his arms away from her, but he wasn't fighting back. He wasn't rejecting Cess. It took a moment for her to realize, that SHE was the one being rejected by him.   
  
Slowly, without a thought of finding out what REALLY happened, the Black Mage continued down the hall and back into her room.  
  
Auron came out a few seconds later, looking around at the hallway, wondering what he just heard just now. He thought he heard a door closing. Thinking it was just the wind, Auron went back inside the room and closed the door behind him, to finish the "conversation" he was having with Cess.  
  
  
  
*******************  
  
  
  
"Dammit!" he hissed, lifting up a hand to touch the wound. His hand was suddenly slapped away by a small hand he would gladly like to cut off once he found a knife to use. Unfortunately, when Kai looked around, there was nothing for him to offer, except maybe a couple of large rocks laying nearby, but magic was funner.  
  
"If you touch the wound, your dirty hands will leave it infected!" Yuna spoke, regretting of ever helping the injured Black Mage.  
  
"I can easilly kill you with my magic, you wench and-!" Kai paused. He felt something hard and angry around his neck. The red haired Mage looked down as an arm went around his neck, threatening to choke him to death.   
  
"Do you even know what she's trying to do to you, you bastard!?" a voice whispered in his ears. No matter how threatening he was, Kai could tell the blond warrior was too hesitant to kill him on the spot.   
  
Kai just smiled and cackled. "Hah! Hah! Are you threatening me? You make me laugh!"  
  
"Well, you won't be laughing when I have my weapon and slit your throat with it!" Tidus spoke. He looked up and was about to grin at Yuna, when her eyes suddenly looked frightened at the blonde's words.   
  
Yuna shook her head in disbelief. Was this the Tidus she met and fell in love with? The lovable, kind Tidus who would never threaten anyone, despite the situation?   
  
As if knowing of her discomfort, Tidus backed away, releasing his grip from Kai and looked down on the ground, trying to avoid eye contact with his girlfriend. What on earth was he doing? He couldn't afford to make Yuna uncomfortable...   
  
ESPECIALLY around him.   
  
"Hah! Hah! I see that you just had a little fight, no matter how small the evidence is. Yuna, I am so glad that you are so kind to help me and make me better until I get my muscles back to use my magic and kill you BOTH with it!" Kai leaned his head back and laughed, but suddenly stopped when a pain hit him around his shoulders. Yuna and Tidus looked at the Black Mage. "AGGH!"  
  
Tidus just smirked. "Well, that should shut you up for a while."  
  
Yuna, on the other hand, was more concerned than please with Kai's condition. Why all the anger? she wondered. "You really should rest, Kai. I do not think you are well enough to move around, yet."  
  
Kai scowled at her, as if he was looking at his mother. "I do not listen to what you say, WOMAN! I am my own person and I can do whatever you want."  
  
"You heard him, Yuna." Kai looked up at the glaring Tidus. "The man wants to do whatever he wants. So, I think you should stop caring for him and let him go. I mean... he is his own person."  
  
The young summoner glanced at Tidus, then back at Kai. "I do not think..."  
  
Tidus sighed. "Yuna, it's impossible for you to change EVERYONE just by helping them with something. I think you should let the man do whatever he wants so we don't have to worry about taking him to the ship."  
  
Kai began to slowly get up. "So, if you'll excuse me, I best be going now. You pathetic mortals will regret of ever helping me!" With that said, he turned and was heading towards the exit. However, the same pain nudged through his shoulder once again, forcing him to kneel on the ground, howling in agony.  
  
Yuna was about to help him, when Tidus' hand on her shoulder stopped her.   
  
Kai closed his eyes and screamed as loud as he could. Why was this happening to him? He is the most powerful Black Mage there is! He refuses to be taken down by a mortal wound! He is invincible! Slowly and stubbornly, Kai lifted himself from the ground and strayed once again towards the exit.  
  
The couple watched him go, then stopped again as another pang of pain exhausted him from his destination.   
  
"YUNA! TIDUS!" yelled a voice. Kai stopped in his tracks. DAMN! he hissed in his head.  
  
"Uncle Cid?" Yuna whispered. She glanced at Tidus, then stepped outside, while Tidus closely stepped beside her, making sure Kai wasn't going to attack her. As if I could, Kai thought, watching Tidus watching him closely in the corner of his eyes. "UNCLE CID!" Yuna called.  
  
A moment later, a bald head popped up from the distance. Kai didn't have time to figure out who it was, because he was beginning to feel nauseated. He was slowly drowning into the pain, slowly drawing himself into unconsciousness. No one paid attention, but he didn't care, so why should they? He could hear three people speaking as he kneeled down again on the ground, feeling himself getting weak.   
  
"I'm so glad I found you!" came a deep man's voice. "Are you both all right?"  
  
"Yeah, we're both fine and going great Uncle Cid..."  
  
Kai couldn't hear the last words from Yuna's mouth, because he felt his eyes closed and then the last thing he remembered, was blackness.  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: There you have it! I have answered the question concerning Kai's whereabouts! So, all this time, Kai was actually injured while trying to get away from Cess' attacks around two days ago and all this time, he's been struggling to survive! o.O And indeed, for Yuna being so nice, she offers to help him with his painful injury! And hey, what's this!? Cess confesses her past feelings towards Auron while Lulu was going to do it too? (after knowing of her true feelings of course!) Uh oh! What's in store now for our two lovebirds? o.O Stay tuned!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	12. Better of a lie than the truth

GoodGurl: Well, so we last left off with Cess confessing her old feelings towards Auron and Lulu runs away from hearing it, sad and rather confused about her own feelings towards the Swordsman. And hey! Kai is being cared for by our dear, sweet, Yuna... then he collapses....@_@ Uh...okay! Enjoy!  
  
  
  
*Oh yeah I haven't done this for a while so *ahem.* I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE FINAL FANTASY X CHARACTERS, EXCEPT FOR CESS AND KAI AND EVERYONE ELSE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF THAT'S NOT MENTIONED IN THE GAME! THANK YOU! ;)  
  
  
  
Chapter 12 - Better Off A Lie Than The Truth   
  
  
  
He woke up with a rather painful aura around him. The moment he opened his eyes and the moment he sat up suddenly, realizing he was in an unfamiliar territory, Kai winced at the same unbearable pain at his shoulder, almost crying out at the discomfort. He looked around him, noticing that he was in some kind of a ship, in one of the sleeping quarters.   
  
"You sitting up that fast won't get you anywhere," came a soft, feminine voice from somewhere. The red head turned his head to the left and noticed the same young woman he noticed earlier. He stared straight at the young woman's eyes, both having different coloring than the other... her eyes were oddly green and blue (Don't ask me what side has what colour 'cause I forgot ^^;).   
  
Kai scowled at her in disgust, moving his feet to the side of the bed, but grimaced wildly as another throbbing conflicted on his shoulder. "Uggh!" The red head had no other choice but to lay back down on the flat bed, which he found really uncomfortable. He felt his forehead sweat. "DAMMIT!" he hissed, clutching at his bandaged shoulder.   
  
Yuna smiled, shaking her head. She reached down on the floor and picked up the wet towel that was being soaked in a silver pale full of warm water. She wrung it dry for a moment, then dabbed the hand towel sized cloth against his forehead. "You need to rest some more, Kai. You stayed out too long in the storm while you were injured, so you developed fever. If we didn't get to you in time, your wound would have been infected."  
  
Kai said nothing. Why was this pathetic girl helping him? She was talking to him as if she was his old friend or something! Damn mortals! he hissed, thoughtfully. "When I get out of this bed, I swear I'll-" He jerked his head towards the door, as he noticed it opening, stopping him in mid sentence. A bald man dressed in only yellow pants and suspenders, stepped inside, followed by a reluctant blond he saw earlier, which he recalled was named 'Tidus.'   
  
"Ah, I see our little Black Magician is awake," the bald man spoke.  
  
Kai sneered at him, but all he got from the old man was a smile of satisfaction. The blond stepped in quickly beside Yuna, as if he just noticed him awake for certain, gripping a very dangerous looking sword in his right hand tightly. The red head moved his head to get the cloth from his head and it fell on the bed beside him.   
  
"Are you all right, Yuna?" Tidus asked, glancing dangerously towards Kai.  
  
Yuna nodded, smiling, putting the cloth back on the stubborn Magician's head. Kai growled, attempting to get up again, but to no avail. Expecting for the red head to attack, Tidus moved quickly, putting his sword close to his neck. Kai paused and looked up, staring into the eyes of his enemy.   
  
"You got a problem, blondie?" Kai hissed.  
  
Tidus gritted his teeth angrily and was about to say something, when Yuna's hand shot up, stopping him. "Tidus, can you and Cid step out please?"  
  
The blond was about to say something out of protest, when he felt Cid's hand on his shoulder. Tidus looked over his shoulder at the bald Al Bhed man. "Come on, Tidus. Yuna needs us out of here. Don't worry..." The bald man's head jerked towards the red head. "You'll get your chance to kill him."  
  
"I'll be waiting," Tidus spoke, through clenched teeth. With that, both men stepped out and closed the door behind them, but Tidus was cautious enough, by leaving the door slightly open so they can hear what was going on inside, to make sure that Kai did not attack Yuna.   
  
"Why are you helping me?" Kai suddenly asked, when he was sure Tidus and Cid were out of earshot.   
  
Yuna didn't answer for a minute and lucky for her, Kai did not have the energy to scold her to hurry with her answer. She gave an odd smile towards the red head, but Kai could tell she was reluctant to tell him, or rather, afraid to tell him. He swore he saw sweat dropping from the sides of her face. "Why wouldn't I? It is every Summoner's duty to bring peace in the world. That is my mission." She couldn't believe she was having a conversation with the man who almost killed them.   
  
Almost.  
  
"Hah!" Kai cackled. "You really think YOU can save the whole world by helping the one who will destroy it? You and I both know that once I get well, I will kill you, your boyfriend and everyone here in this ship!"  
  
Yuna dabbed more warm water on Kai's forehead and nodded. "I know," she said, as simply and as calmly as she could muster. "But there is greater force at work here that wants to destroy the world for no apparent reason. What I want to know Kai is... why do you wish for all of us 'mortals' destroyed? Aren't you a mortal yourself?"   
  
Kai's eyes widened for a minute, then it disappeared quickly. Why was this girl not afraid of him? He turned away, gritting his teeth in annoyance. What the hell was this? Isn't anyone afraid of him anymore? Was he losing his touch? "MORTALS are different than us Black Magicians!" was the answer he could think of.  
  
Yuna felt more confident. She was actually having a conversation with possibly the worse enemy she has ever faced. "How are we different from Black Magicians? We breathe the same air, have the same color of blood and have the same emotions we feel all the time."  
  
The red head thought about that for a moment. All his life, all he's ever wanted was Lulu, but now that he thought about it. Why DID he want to destroy the world? Did he even have the thought to destroy it? "Uggh!" Kai shook his head angrily. This girl was playing with his head! With all his strength, he sat up quickly and grabbed Yuna's neck. The girl didn't have time to react, so she was trapped in his grasp. Kai smirked. "You're really good at this game, Yuna! Remind me to give you a prize!"  
  
Yuna wrung her hands around his single hand, but didn't have enough power to pull his hand away from her throat. She felt herself coughing hard and she could feel her air losing. "I know *cough* that you're *cough* hurting..." She felt Kai squeeze harder and the harder his hand wrung around her neck, the harder she tried twisting it off of her with her hands.   
  
"You don't know anything about me you stupid bitch!" Kai hissed, thinking of snapping her head in two. He gripped tighter, liking the look on her face when it started to turn purple.  
  
The door suddenly opened. Kai was paying too much attention to the colors of Yuna's odd eyes that he didn't realize that the same two men he saw earlier had ran inside. He felt something hit him at the back of his neck and the last thing he saw before falling unconscious, were those same gentle eyes.  
  
  
  
~Flashback~  
  
  
  
He felt a hard smack across his face. An eight year old boy placed a small hand on his swollen cheek and looked into the cold eyes of his father.   
  
"You stupid kid! I don't know why I ever called you my son! You get me back that girl or I swear by your mother's grave that I will hit you harder than last time, but not with my fists!" He grabbed the little boy's collar and pulled him so close that the boy could smell the alcohol in his breath. "You understand me, boy?"  
  
The little boy nodded. "Yes..." he whimpered, sniffing.  
  
The father grimaced, dropping him back on the ground. "Stop cryin' you pathetic, weak, boy! I could easily disown you for being so weak!" He turned his back on him and looked out the window. "Beaten by a girl! And a mortal!" He shook his head in disbelief. He jerked his head towards his son. "You are a disgrace to the family!" He lifted his finger towards the boy and scowled at him. "You will not eat, sleep or drink until you surpass that pathetic level of magic of yours! You will continue your training with me and I will tell you when or when not to stop! Understand?" He approached him again, his big footsteps stomping against the ground.  
  
The boy hid in fear, forcing himself to scrunch up into a ball in the corner of a wall behind him. He was being lifted once again by the collar and once again felt his father's fowl breath. "Do you understand me, boy!?"  
  
The young boy nodded. "Y- yes father!" Once again he was dropped on the floor... this time, much harder than the last time. He kept his eyes closed, fear of seeing his father's face again and in relief, he felt footsteps disappearing from behind him and through the back door.   
  
  
  
~End of flashback~  
  
  
  
She opened her eyes and scanned the room. There were so many memories in this part of her house. It used to be her best friend's home.   
  
Used to be Kai's. That part of his life was not shared in her own memory. For a long time, her relationship with him dissipated and she never heard from him after that. She examined the walls, the ceiling, the living room, the kitchen and finally... the bedroom.  
  
Her mind went back to tonight's little fiasco between Cess and Auron, then shook the thoughts away. She needed to be in this place... it will at least give her a chance to get her mind off of it.  
  
Lulu searched around the room for a sign of Kai's human dignity, not the monster she encountered three days ago. She smiled when she noticed the same toys- the stuffed Mog she gave him on his sixth birthday, stacked in his closet, along with other old toys she remembered him playing with as a child. Nothing changed much, which quite confused her, because for a grown man like Kai, she expected him to be sleeping in an even bigger bed and expected his room to change from a child's point of view, to a man's point of view.   
  
It made her wonder why the chocobo clock was still on the dresser drawer beside the bed and why the bed sheets were still that same childish cartoon they watched when they were younger. It made her think.  
  
Just then, she heard something close behind her. The Black Magician turned around swiftly and noticed a very familiar figure standing in the shadows. It took her a while to realize that it was the same man that greeted them earlier this afternoon, though she was quite confused on why he was here... so late at night.  
  
"It's been a long time now, Lulu. You're all grown up." the man spoke. Lulu noticed him rolling up his sleeves and she could have sword she noticed him licking his lips.  
  
"Excuse me?" Lulu backed away, avoiding any contact as he approached her, but she was not trapped in between the man and the dresser drawer behind her. "Do I know you?"  
  
"Can't you recognize your own..." he stepped into the spot where little light shone from the lamp. "Father in law?" He took out something from behind and Lulu noticed that it was a dark looking magic staff.  
  
Lulu squinted her eyes and gasped, when she finally remembered who this man was. Kai's father... Mayor Moris."Oh! Hello, Mr. Moris how are you?" She needed something to use. Anything! Lulu quickly moved beside her, towards the closet and grabbed the stuffed Mog she saw earlier and grasped it in her arms.  
  
The bald man smirked, advancing forward once again. "Let's see how good you are, Lulu! Show me and make me understand how you could beat Kai so well for someone who's not of Black Mage descent!"  
  
Black Mage descent? What is he talking about? She was indeed a Black Mage descent! "I have Black Mage blood!" Lulu spoke, making her thoughts clear to him.  
  
Moris laughed. Lulu was surprised. For a small bald man like him, he was quite threatening. "No you don't, little girl! You never had Black Mage descent in you! Your father and mother lied to you! They knew all along that you weren't a Black Mage! It was a good thing they both died, because they were just getting too attached to you. Well, maybe except your father. He knew what he was getting into, so he decided to make your mother, 'understand' what she was getting into!"  
  
Lulu clenched her fists, then looked away shamefully. She felt hot tears ready to fall, but she held them back quickly. So, all along, this was what she has been living in? All this time, she's been living in a lie! Is this why she has felt alone all the time after leaving Presia, because her family was never real?   
  
That's not true, Lulu a voice spoke in her head. Lulu opened her eyes, unclenching her fists and shook her head in disbelief towards the voice. "Then what is the truth?" she asked to no one in particular. "Who am I?"  
  
"You?" Moris said suddenly. "You are a worthless creation that Brydon and Jean brought into their home. I should never have brought them into this village in the first place if I knew that they were going to love you so much."  
  
'Love?' she thought. "They... they loved me?"  
  
"That's right, Lulu and don't you think that you're not alone. You're not."  
  
Moris and Lulu both looked towards the door. Clyre and Mira Mirkie stood by the doorway, hands grasped tightly around their own staffs. "We all love you, Lulu," Mira spoke, smiling at her.  
  
Lulu frowned, still unsure.  
  
"Your mother and your father were good people, but HE molded your father into someone else. Brydon and Jean loved each other very much and they were so happy when they brought you into this village," Clyre explained. "They raised you as their own and trained you to become a Black Mage."  
  
The Black Mage nodded, knowing this story already and waited for Clyre or Mira to continue. "HE, being the mayor that he is in this village, sent some men to go hunting for food, INCLUDING your father!" Clyre glared at him. "Yes, Moris my wife and I knew what you were doing in the first place! We knew what your plan was! You wanted Brydon to believe that he didn't love his wife and daughter! You corrupted his mind! We knew that you were the only person who had the magic of manipulation!"  
  
Moris gave a roar of laughter, making everyone's hairs stand on end by the sound of it. "Sadly, the villagers overlooked it. Bravo for that! Thank you, Clyre and Mira! Now, if you excuse me, I will be heading back to bed now." Clyre and Mirkie continued to glare at him. Lulu was just too at loss for words with the truth she just heard about herself. "What, did you really think I'd hurt your precious Lulu?" Moris glanced back at Lulu and smirked. "She's not worth my time anyway! And I think it's time that you all leave my house!" With that said, he shoved pass the elderly couple and left for the front of the building. Lulu sighed, glancing strangely at Clyre and Mira.  
  
"Are you all right, Lulu?" Mira asked, taking a step forward.  
  
Without saying a word, the Black Mage walked pass them and down the stairs, where a very amused Moris was waiting by the opened door. She didn't give him a look, as Lulu walked pass him and stepped out the door. Clyre and Mira were not far behind. Moris slammed the door behind them and proceeded up the stairs, where he can watch the young woman from the top window of his own bedroom in the darkness.  
  
Every information felt like they were stuffed inside her head so severely, that she could feel her thoughts throbbing with many unanswered questions concerning about herself and her REAL past. Was she really just an orphan, just like Auron? Who was her REAL family? Does she have brothers or sisters? If she was not a Black Magician, then why did she surpass Kai's level? A pure blood Black Magician?   
  
"Lulu," Mira started, but the dark haired woman just lifted up her hand to stop her from speaking and headed back towards the inn.   
  
Clyre put a gentle arm around his wife and frowned, their eyes watching the young woman go inside the unfinished building. "Give her some time. I know she has been through a lot."  
  
"Why didn't we tell her sooner, Clyre? We could have told her! Why didn't you let me?" Mira said, almost into a whisper.  
  
Clyre shook his head. "It was not our place to intrude. I just thought she'd find out on her own."  
  
"From Moris' lips? It was even better for her to know from us! The ones who knew her parents very well!"  
  
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it. The truth has come out and all we can do for her is to leave her alone and let her think things through. She's a grown woman, Mira and you and I both know she can handle it."  
  
Mira took a deep breath and nodded.  
  
  
  
________  
  
  
  
Lulu walked through the dark hallway, her mind swirling with mixed emotions and questions. She felt like the whole world was betraying her. Why did she have to go inside that particular room? It would have been better if she just stayed in her room and not know about it. She was better off with the lie than the truth.   
  
Without thinking, the dark haired woman headed for the direction of Auron's room and when she got there, she slowly knocked on the door. Right now, even if Cess was in his room, she didn't care. She needed to talk to someone. ANYONE.  
  
She noticed the door opening and a single figure's shadow clear in her eyes. Auron stood there, his eyes widening in disbelief at the look in Lulu's eyes. He wasn't sure what it was. It was the first look he has ever seen from her.   
  
Fear? Disbelief? Shock?   
  
It seemed like it was all those things.  
  
"Lulu? Is there something you need?"  
  
Lulu said nothing. Without waiting for his permission, the black haired woman gently pushed her way through the door and stepped inside, walking towards the window that only gave limited amount of light from the moon. She noticed Cess wasn't there. It was a good thing, because she didn't want her to see what she was going to do next.   
  
She heard Auron approaching her. "Lulu? What's wrong?"  
  
The Black Mage turned to face him, her eyes now full of rare innocence on such a mature looking woman. Auron was getting concerned about this. "I... I just..." She didn't know what she was doing. What was she doing here? Would Auron make it better it she told him what she knows about herself? How will that help her? Nevertheless, Lulu, without a second thought, walked over to his bed and sat down, turning her head towards the window. She looked up to see Auron approaching her cautiously, wondering what was wrong with her. Her face was just too impossible to read. "Can I... Can I stay here? Just for tonight?"  
  
Auron thought about it for a moment, then slowly nodded.   
  
Lulu nodded as well, then looked back out the window.   
  
Auron, without a word, not even a question on why she wanted to stay in his room for the night, closed the door behind and sat down on the single chair across the room. He lifted up his eyes to watch her. It took him a few more seconds to have the courage to ask her finally on what was going on. "Are... are you all right, Lulu?"  
  
"No," Lulu answered abruptly. He killed her own father... and all along he was being controlled by Moris. He made her hate her father for beating up her mother. All this time it was HIS doing! Kai's own father...  
  
The swordsman said nothing after that.  
  
For the rest of the evening, they stayed like that, lost in their own world. All that mattered to Lulu was Auron's presence in the room. She felt comfortable staying like that, just sitting on his bed, watching the stars. Auron too, felt the same way.   
  
They both liked the others' company.  
  
  
  
**************  
  
  
  
"Hey where's Lulu?" Rikku whispered in the darkness.  
  
Cess opened one eye lazily and turned her body the other way, away from Rikku's questioning gaze. "I don't know," she mumbled.   
  
"I haven't seen her go in this room yet," Rikku said.  
  
The brown haired woman groaned, picking up her pillow to put over her right ear, then squishing the left one against the mattress, hoping to muffle Rikku's voice. Why of all people did she have to be roomed with THESE people?   
  
"Is she going to be okay?" Cess could now feel Rikku sliding from her bed and heading towards the door. "I'm going to look for her," the blond announced.  
  
Cess removed her pillow from her ear and glanced at the blond, ready to open the door. "Hey!" she whispered.  
  
Rikku paused, turning around to face the older woman. "What?"  
  
"What do you think you're doing? You don't need to be worried about your friend. She can handle herself."  
  
"Well, what's wrong with worrying a little for my friends?" Rikku asked, lifting up a single eyebrow over her eyes. "If you had friends, Cess, you'd understand." She turned back to the door and opened it slowly, careful not to disturb anyone else in the building and stepped out.  
  
When she was gone, Cess thought about what Rikku said. Then, she remembered that the blond girl was wearing nothing but her night gown. She should have told her to change while walking alone in the middle of night with a bunch of strangers sleeping under the same roof.   
  
The brown haired girl shrugged. "Ah, well..." She closed her eyes and went back to sleep.   
  
  
  
__________  
  
  
  
The blond girl tip toed down the hall, trying to remember the number to Wakka's room or maybe Auron's room to ask whether they know where Lulu run off to. She knew she didn't have to worry about anything, but it was just in her nature to worry about her friends. After being together for so long, the worries she has for her friends grow stronger and the bond she has with them increase after every battle they face. She turned a corner, feeling her way with her hands so she wouldn't trip on to anything or run into a wall or a door. She was just taking a few more steps, when she felt something hard collide against her. Rikku was falling backward, but strong hands caught her just in time.  
  
"Hey, are you all right?" the voice whispered through the darkness. Rikku recognized the voice to be deep and young. Just by their voices, the blond knows just how to distinguish the age of the source of the voice.  
  
The blond nodded. "I'm fine." She squinted her eyes, blinking them a couple of times so they could get used to the darkness and when they were, she noticed an attractive looking young man with long, dark hair staring back at her. His hair was tied back into a neat ponytail behind him and head the greenest eyes she has ever seen. "Are you?"  
  
The young man, maybe two years older, nodded. When he noticed what she looked liked, he quickly turned his head away, blushing. "Uh... yeah I'm fine." He scratched the back of his head nervously.  
  
Rikku looked at him curiously. She looked at herself and blushed a dark shade of red when she realized that she was wearing almost nothing underneath her bright blue coat, which slipped while she walked. The blond bit her lip nervously and turned around. "Sorry, I must be heading the wrong way." She began to walk away, but the boy's voice stopped her.  
  
"Are you looking for someone?" he spoke, almost to a whisper.  
  
Rikku shyly turned around, hiding herself underneath the darkness to make sure she wasn't 'showing' herself too much. She covered her coat over it some more. "Yeah, I am actually. How did you know?"  
  
"It's either that or you need to get a... a drink of water?" the boy shrugged.   
  
The blond stared at him, then, for no apparent reason, started laughing. She approached him and held out a hand. "My name's Rikku. Sorry for all the noise I was making. I probably woke you up didn't I?" It couldn't hurt to talk to him. Besides, he was really cute, Rikku thought.  
  
The boy shook his head. "Nah. I was awake already anyway. My name's Vance Rideau," he replied, shaking her tiny hand. "I was just going to get some water and then maybe practice my Black Magic."  
  
"Practice your Black Magic?" She glanced at her watch, which said three o'clock and she looked back up at Vance curiously. "At this hour?"  
  
Vance grinned. "Yep. I always do."  
  
Rikku rolled her eyes. "Of course!" she spoke softly, trying not to talk too loud. Lately, that's been her habit.  
  
"And..." He looked into her eyes, then blushed, turning away nervously. "Ah.. Well uh... I actually saw you this afternoon practicing your fighting skills against that big man."  
  
The blond giggled. "You mean Wakka?"  
  
"Yeah, him and I couldn't help but ask you if..."  
  
"What is it, Vance?" She looked around, hoping that Lulu would come back soon.  
  
Vance rubbed the back of his neck nervously, unaware that the blonde's attention was somewhere else. "Are you up to practicing with me? I do need someone who can fight to help me practice my magic. I mean if you don't want to...that's fine. If you're tired and all..."  
  
Rikku thought about it for a moment. A sparring match? With a Black Mage? She nodded, smiling excitedly. "Yeah I'd like that. First, let me change into my outfit and I'll meet you at the front in five minutes, okay?"  
  
Vance's eyes widened in surprise. "You would?" When he noticed the blond staring back at him, he blushed again. "Okay, at the front it is."  
  
The blond smiled. "All right, see ya then!" With that planned out, she waved and ran slowly back to her room. The dark haired boy watched her go. He took a deep breath and blushed even more that he was going to be sparring with the cutest girl she has ever seen. He grinned and went back to his room to change into a better fighting outfit than the one he was wearing. He has seen the cute girl fight. He needed to take precautions!  
  
  
  
**************  
  
  
  
"Yuna, let me kill him," Tidus whispered in her ear. He and Cid ran inside the room where Yuna was in with Kai and found him strangling his lover. Cid was the one who knocked the Black Mage unconscious, while Tidus pulled Yuna way safely, wrapping his arms around her.   
  
The young Summoner shook her head. "No, Tidus."  
  
The blond warrior shook his head in disbelief, pulling himself away from Yuna. "Why not? He could have killed you! If we let him go after he's healed, even though I think he should be killed for, then he'll make even more damage! He'll look for Lulu still and once again we'll be starting from the beginning!"  
  
Yuna stepped away from him and stared into his eyes. "I know, Tidus, but I almost broke him."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"I could see sorrow in his eyes, Tidus. There is still human left in him. I saw his dream... his past..." Yuna explained quietly.  
  
Tidus sighed. "I don't care what you saw, Yuna! If he is healed, he will continue to wreak havoc! Do you want that to happen? I mean we have other things to worry about! Like Sin!"  
  
Yuna nodded again. "I know, Tidus! But please, trust me on this! I know that if I can break down his wall and see his past again and find out why he is like this, then we can take him in as one of us! We need more power to defeat Sin!"  
  
"Are you listening to yourself?" Tidus asked, his eyes widening in disbelief. "You're trying to change a blood thirsty man who's out to kill anyone if they were to be in his way of Lulu! You're asking for more than just changed, Yuna! You're asking for his redemption!"  
  
"And that's what I intend to do," Yuna said. She looked at him, making him see that her decision was final. Giving up, Tidus nodded and watched as Yuna slowly went back inside the room where Kai was, unconscious. Cid was standing by the door, his eyes firmly on the sleeping man. Yuna gently dismissed her Uncle and after a few protests, Cid finally stepped out of the room, leaving Yuna alone with Kai once again.   
  
"I don't know she's so kind to him," Tidus said to Cid, shaking his head in disbelief.  
  
"Well, that's because she's Yuna," Cid replied.  
  
Tidus nodded. Despite Yuna's request to trust her on this, he couldn't help but feel cold feet around him. How will Yuna's plan work? Why would she go to all this trouble? Is she not comfortable enough to defeat Sin, that's why she needs more power from someone else?   
  
Is that it?  
  
'He will never change,' the blond thought. 'A monster will always be a monster.'  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: Hee hee! So, Yuna plans on changing Kai's 'attitude' and turn him around to their side? Is Tidus right, that Kai will NEVER change? Is Yuna only planning on putting Kai to their side because she's not confident enough to defeat Sin? And hey! Rikku meets a cute guy! At least she's with someone not with Auron......*shudder* So.... will Lulu open up to Auron after that whole scene with her and her true past? Hm....... stay tuned! o.O 


	13. Al Bhed Reunited

Note: OMgoodness! I certainly did not mean to make you guys wait! I apologize!!!!! I feel so rude now! *sniff* Well we last left off with Lulu and Auron alone together in Auron's room, after Lulu gets a memory check from none other than Moris, the insane father of Kai! Rikku meets a cute black mage named Vance while Yuna is taking care of a recovering Kai....what will this bring now to the world of 'When The Night Fades?' o.O  
  
  
  
Chapter 13 - Al Bhed Reunited  
  
  
  
Silence continued to surround them that same night, but the next morning was much more different. Lulu was awaken by a series of many noises from outside (most of which started off from Rikku and that new boy she met). It soon later changed into more people- children if you will, who were playing outside. She looked around, her eyes still trying to focus in the new light that hovered above the room. In front of her, a tall figure dressed in a red coat loomed over her... watching her from his spot on the chair.   
  
"Good morning," the figure mumbled.  
  
It took a few more seconds for Lulu to realize that it was Auron and a few more seconds to remember that she was in his room because of something that happened to her last night. She looked around groggily, trying to see around her. Her arms, from what she could see, were folded on the window sill, while she sat on Auron's bed, cross legged. She unfolded her arms immedately, as if just realizing what she was doing and glanced over at Auron. "I- I'm sorry about-"  
  
"Don't worry about it," Auron interrupted, standing up. "You needed company so I gave it to you. You seemed to be tired from last night as well so you fell asleep and I didn't bother to wake you up. I felt rude to do so, because you looked peaceful there."   
  
Lulu slowly moved into a sitting position, turning her whole body towards Auron and cautiously stood up. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, a rumble of noise erupted from outside. "WATCH OUT!"  
  
Both adults were startled and turned to see where the noise had come from. Lulu quickly moved to where the window was and looked out, while at the same time, Auron peeked from over Lulu's shoulder to peer out the window. The black mage and the swordsman noticed two figures outside, facing each other, at least a few feet away. One was a young man whom Lulu recognized, while the other was a girl, around fifteen with blond hair, whom both were FOR sure familiar with. Rikku had her arms protectively around a little boy, who seemed frightened about something. The blond girl looked down at the frightened boy and looked into his eyes with a form of sympathy. "Are you all right?" she asked.  
  
The little boy, around eight years old, nodded, wiping his tears with his clenched fist. "Yeah..." he shivered.  
  
"Of course you are!" Rikku said, smiling. She ruffled the boy's hair affectionately and smiled. "You are a brave boy!"  
  
The little boy beamed, his face turning a slight pink at the comment. "Yeah!"  
  
"Good!" Rikku looked up at the young man a few feet away from her. "Your brother is very brave, Vance!"  
  
Vance smiled, nodding his head. "Thanks for that, Rikku! I'm glad you were there!" The young man turned to look at his little brother. "Next time, Cedric, warn me if you're going to play around here, okay?"   
  
Cedric nodded. "Okay!" He looked up at Rikku and smiled, then back at his older brother. "Rikku's very pretty! Is she your girlfriend, Van?"  
  
Rikku blushed, then turned away, hoping that Vance hadn't seen that. Vance was blushing too, but the blond girl missed that. "Um...no she's not, Cedric..." He felt sweat drop from the sides of his face. "She's a friend..."  
  
Silence surrounded the field now. Rikku and Vance said nothing for a long time, whilst Lulu and Auron watched from the window, wondering what was going to happen next, but before anyone could make any moves to break the silence in the air, a rumbling noise broke them from their thoughts. All those who were present during that day were looking up at the sound and noticed, just a distance away, a very familiar looking ship hovering above the clouds. Rikku recognized the Al Bhed ship immediately and was already jumping up and down with excitement. However, she wasn't the first one to call out the name. It was Lulu, who whispered under her breath, "Cid's ship..."  
  
At the sound of the surprised voice, Rikku looked up to find Lulu and Auron standing side by side by the window. She waved, either unaware or not really caring what was going on between the two of them and smiled. "HEY! Lulu! Auron! The ship! It's here! They're here! My dad's here! YES!" Without another glance towards Vance (though it was obvious she was too awkward to bring up whatever Cedric said to anyone), Rikku ran inside, calling Wakka and Kimhari, who were inside the dining room, having breakfast. Lulu and Auron made their way downstairs and out the door to where Vance was standing, curious and rather confused about what was happening and what that ship was. Cedric, Vance's little brother was already gone, probably ran off with his playmates. A few seconds later, Rikku dashed back to her spot, followed by a flustered Wakka and an expressionless Kimahri.   
  
All of them looked up to see if Rikku was right and indeed, she was. Lulu could see Cid's balding head through the front window of the ship, looking around for a sign of his daughter and her companions. When he noticed them standing there (Rikku waving and jumping up and down to get their attention), Cid pointed towards them, glancing over his shoulder at Tidus who looked very relieved to find them. The Al Bhed ship landed smoothly in front of everyone on the green field and Rikku, excited to see everyone else, ran a whole distant and waited nearest to the door until it opened. Lulu, Auron, Wakka and Kimahri walked together towards the ship and at this point, Cess emerged from the building of the hotel, while Vance remained there, still confused and rather disappointed.   
  
The door to the ship slid open to reveal the balding leader of the Al Bheds stepping out, followed by another enthusiastic blond, however, unlike the name implied to him, Tidus did not seem enthusiastic for some reason and Lulu was the first to notice. His eyes darted from the excitement in Rikku's voice as she hugged her father, towards Auron and then Lulu. He frowned, then took his eyes away from them as if he was ashamed of something.   
  
"Tidus, is something the matter?" Auron asked, staring at him curiously.  
  
Tidus glanced mostly at Lulu as he shook his head. He said nothing, afraid that if he said something, he would be blamed for it. He also didn't want Yuna to be blamed for this, so he chose to say nothing until they saw for themselves. Suddenly, there was tension in everyone, especially around Tidus, Lulu and Auron and maybe even....Lulu turned to look at Cid, who was not happy about the same reason as Tidus either. Rikku noticed this as well and glanced from Tidus, to Cid, then back to Tidus again.   
  
"What's going on?" Rikku asked, furrowing her eyebrows curiously.  
  
Cid sighed, taking a long deep breath before saying, "I think you should go look inside, Lulu."  
  
Lulu stared at him. "What do you mean? Where's Yuna?"  
  
It was Tidus' turn to talk ."She's...taking care of an injured....of someone..."  
  
"Who?" the black mage's eyes darted from one to the other, until realization kicked in. Auron certainly did not miss that look, even though he knew already from Cid's reaction about Yuna's whereabouts. Lulu shook her head in disbelief, then, without another sound, walked inside the ship. She asked a couple of the crewmen inside to where Yuna was and their answers led her to a far room at the very back of the ship. Auron followed suit, then everyone else. They quietly filed inside the ship, except for Rikku, who had walked back towards Vance.   
  
"Hey, Vance!" Rikku smiled and waved at the young black mage.  
  
"Are you leaving now?" there was disappointment in Vance's voice now and Rikku knew why. That thought made her blush. She turned away and nodded. "Um...yeah, I'm leaving now. But-" Before she could finish her sentence, Vance had grabbed the back of her hand and kissed it gently. Rikku could almost melt at that point, but didn't. The dark haired boy with the ponytail grinned and backed away, winking at her.   
  
"Come visit me soon, okay?" he said.  
  
It took Rikku a long time to realize that he was talking to her (because she was too engrossed in Vance's beautiful smile and his kiss to notice), before she said, "Huh? Yeah of course!" Smiling, she waved good bye to him and walked back to the ship, almost hesitating to jump inside the ship. She didn't want to leave...even though it was her job to do so. She had a Summoner to protect and everyone in the ship had Sin to defeat.   
  
  
  
*******************  
  
  
  
Lulu entered the room quietly, her eyes blinking in the darkness, before it focused on something moving on a bed. Another figure sat still on a chair beside the bed, obviously sleeping and from what Lulu could see, the figure looked to be female. Her head was lolling back and forth as the ship began to move. It took Lulu a few more hints to realize that it was Yuna who was sitting there. She couldn't supress the anger burning inside her. From what Tidus and Cid had informed before she came in, was that Yuna was helping a certain person recover and when she heard HIS name, she almost stormed inside the room, but didn't... With a calm demeanor, Lulu closed the door behind her and approached the bed cautiously. She glanced down at the sleeping figure of Kai, then looked up at Yuna, who was slowly waking up from her sleep.  
  
"Hm?" Yuna opened her eyes and noticed Lulu standing there. Startled, she stood up, almost stumbling and gasped. "Lulu! You're....you're here!"  
  
Lulu nodded, glancing over at Kai, making sure he didn't wake up. Luckily, he didn't, but was quite surprised, considering that Yuna was very loud. "Yuna..."  
  
Yuna glanced down at Kai as well and her face turned a beet red. "He needed help Lulu... I couldn't leave him out there..." She looked up and stared into Lulu's firm eyes, which quickly softened. Lulu can never get angry very long at Yuna. She was her Guardian, her older sister and her long time friend. Yuna was the sweetest little sister Lulu has ever had and she disliked being angry at her.   
  
Quickly removing the grudge against Yuna, Lulu approached her slowly, then wrapped her arms around her. "Are you all right? He didn't hurt you?"  
  
Yuna shook her head, burying her face into her shoulders. "I'm fine," she replied, smiling.  
  
They were like that for a while, until a booming voice echoed around the small room. "Awwwwwwwwww how sweet!"  
  
Lulu and Yuna quickly let go and turned their faces towards Kai, who was getting ready to sit up. Aware of this, Lulu quickly moved to the bed and blocked Yuna from Kai. "You better not get her involved in this, Kai! You better not have said anything to make her doubt herself!"  
  
Kai smirked, leaning his back against the wall behind him and folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah like I could use her if I wanted to! I would never get a little girl involved in our affairs anyway..." He looked up and grinned maliciously at Lulu. "And I'm quite surprised that you're here. Where have you been?"  
  
The black mage, with an uncharacteristic manner, planted both her fists on her hips and smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know. Too bad there are no widows here for you to see Presia in the distance as we left!"  
  
The red headed man's pupils turned into slits. "What did you say?" The name seemed to have ran into Kai's veins like it was about to pop out of his skin. That name that Kai dreaded to hear from his woman's lips. Presia... It was the last place he expected her to be in and the last place he expected her to be where his father was. The maniac that ruined his and Lulu's life. "What. Were. You. Doing. There?" At every sentence he spoke, he spoke through his grinding teeth.   
  
"Nothing that concerns you anymore..." Lulu muttered.  
  
Kai moved his arms so that it was used as a lever and tried to sit up properly, but the pain in his ribs were unbearable. He moaned and leaned back down on the wall. "Damn it!" he hissed. Yuna gently pushed Lulu out of the way and approached him, padding down the pillow more comfortably for him to lean on. The red headed man, was surprisingly obedient to that simple gesture and Lulu was getting suspicious at this odd behaviour of his.   
  
"Would you like me to get some water for you, Kai?" Yuna asked gently.  
  
Kai said nothing. But Lulu stepped forward towards the bed and looked at the back of Yuna's head. "Yuna, could you leave us alone for a minute, please?"  
  
Yuna looked up and nodded. She left the room quietly, but remained by the door as she closed it behind her. Lulu cautiously sat down on the chair where Yuna sat and gave him a suspicious look. "Stop acting like you're weak, Kai. I know you better than that! You're trying to get into Yuna's good side so you can get to me. I just want to let you know..." Realizing that someone could be listening outside, Lulu lowered her voice more. "-that I'm watching every single move you make!"  
  
"Perfect..." Kai spoke. Lulu looked at him and realized that he wasn't being sarcastic when he said that. He was really serious. The black mage shifted around on her seat uncomfortably and rebutted the thought of speaking again. Instead, she stood up and left the room without another word. She was surprised to see Yuna standing there and it seems she was also surprised at the sound of the door suddenly opening.   
  
"Yuna, I don't know what you're planning to do to help Kai, but if you are going to take care of him, I am willing to be there with you. I do not want you to be alone with him, understand?" Lulu spoke in a commanding tone.  
  
Yuna nodded. "I understand," she replied quietly.  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: WOOH! Finished! Well, this chapter anyway! I hope ya like! It's pretty short but I promise the other chapters will be longer! ^^ bye now! 


	14. Surrender

Note: OMG! I am sooo sorry! Lately, I found myself getting lazier writing this fic! ^^; I apologize for that! Please forgive me! So, we last left off with Kai alive after all, with the help of the caring Yuna, while Tidus is on a verge of losing his cool towards the man. With the gang all set to leave to defeat Sin, what about Kai? Where does he go from here? BWT: I forgot where Cess went so I'll do the best I can to remember, please bare with me…. Oh yes um… There's a little bit of lime in here…So be warned!!!  
  
Chapter 14 – Surrender   
  
She watched her. No matter how hard it was to let go, she knew she had to. Yuna was no longer the child she has watched all these years. She was a young woman now, ready to make her own decisions. However, Lulu is still unsure whether she was making the right ones right now. Was it really okay for Yuna to watch over Kai alone? Sighing, Lulu decided to visit the room where Kai was in, hoping to get answers from there.   
  
When she arrived, she stopped just by the door when she heard voices inside. "Why did you do what you did? I want to know more about you." Lulu immediately recognized Yuna's voice.   
  
"So this was your plan all along?" said Kai's annoyed voice. "It was your plan to take care of me so you can get information out of me?"   
  
Lulu opened the door, suddenly interrupting the conversation between Yuna and Kai. Both of them looked up as she stepped inside the room. "That's exactly what she plans on doing, Kai. Why have you decided to go after me now?" She closed the door behind her and folded her arms across her chest. Lulu looked at Yuna. "Yuna, could I have a moment alone with him?"  
  
Yuna nodded. "Of course," she said, standing up.   
  
When the young woman left, Lulu was finally able to ask the question that has been plaguing her mind ever since she left Presia. "What happened during those years I left, Kai?"  
  
That question must have been painful for him to answer, because he had looked up, his eyes widening in fear. Lulu looked at him, showing the man that she was definitely serious about her question. Kai turned away and said nothing.  
  
Sighing, Lulu sat down in place of Yuna and asked again. "Tell me Kai, what happened those years? What happened to the kind boy I used to know? Why did you-?" Lulu cut off her words when Kai suddenly turned to look at her.   
  
"I have always been here Lulu and you were just too blind to see it. You left me behind. We had a promise that we'd be together… And…" Unable to say anything more, Kai turned his whole body away from her, towards the door so his back was facing her.   
  
Lulu frowned and sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "When will you understand that I do not have the same feelings that you wish me to have towards you?" She looked back at him and saw something that caught her attention. At the back, just below his right shoulder, was a long scar that started from the shoulder blade and down towards the left side of the spine. Curious, she reached down to trace the scar with her finger.   
  
Startled, Kai jerked his head towards Lulu and growled. "What are you doing!?" He quickly turned around to face her. Lulu pulled away, startled by his outburst.   
  
"Where did you get that scar?" she asked, leaning back on the chair.  
  
Suddenly, Kai sat up on his bed and grabbed the shirt sitting on another chair on the other side of the bed. He pulled the shirt over his head and down until she could no longer see the scar on his back. "Why do you care!?"   
  
"So, you're feeling better now?" Lulu asked, standing up.  
  
Kai said nothing and stood up. "I've decided that my welcome is no longer needed in this God-forsaken airship! I'm leaving." He prepared to turn around and head for the door, when Lulu grabbed his arm. He winced and turned around to strike her, but his good arm was still injured, so he was forced to put his arm back down.   
  
Noticing this, Lulu gave him a suspicious look and shook her head. "You're still in no condition to go out on your own. You need to-!" She was interrupted when his left hand suddenly shot up to go around her neck. With all his might, Kai lifted her up off her feet and shoved her against the metallic wall of the room. "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" he hissed, gripping his hand tighter.   
  
Lulu had forgotten that he was ambidextrous. She felt the pressure tightening around her neck and she had no choice but to cough to find her breathing. She could feel herself turning blue and there was no way of escape since she was unarmed. Lulu was too stupid to think to bring her weapon with her in case she needed to defend herself from anything or anyone.   
  
Kai smiled. "This is what it feels like to be powerful, Lulu. That's what I felt when I made love to you…"  
  
Lulu opened her mouth to speak. "You never made love to me. You ruined my life (cough) that's what you did! You took away my happiness!!!" She closed her eyes and prepared for the worst to come. This was just the most horrible time of her life. She was getting weak by the minute and she couldn't afford to do that if she was going to fight Sin.  
  
"Let her go…now…" a stern voice from behind Kai said. He felt something cold and sharp against his neck. He looked down and noticed a familiar long blade. Slowly, he released his grip from around Lulu's neck and cautiously put his arm back down beside him. "Now…slowly turn around and if you try to make any moves, I swear I will kill you." Kai obeyed the man's demands and slowly turned around. Sure enough, it was Auron who was staring at him through his half broken glasses. "Are you all right, Lulu?" Auron asked, glancing quickly at the almost unconscious Black Mage. He kept the blade close to Kai's neck, almost puncturing it because it was so close to his neck.  
  
Lulu nodded, rubbing her neck slowly and stood up. It took her a moment to breath and when she was able to, she walked over to Auron's side and stared into Kai's eyes. "I said you will stay here until you are much better, so that your wish of killing me will come true." After saying those words, she turned and walked away. Auron gave him another hard look, before following Lulu out the door and closed the door behind him. When they were outside, the Black Mage suddenly said, "I didn't hear you come in…but thank you for that." She wanted to say a lot more than just, a 'thank you.'  
  
Both of them walked down the quiet hall and absent-mindedly headed to the deck. Auron didn't know what he was doing, but he followed her anyway. He was counting how many times he almost lost her and if he hadn't come by the room, she would have died for sure. She was definitely the only person he knew who bumped heads with death many times.   
  
Outside, the night was very windy and cold. The airship flew overhead the clouds and made a wide, smooth turn to avoid really large mountains ahead. Lulu didn't need to hold on for dear life, because the airship was safer than any other airships she's been on. When she reached the very tip of the ship, she was suddenly covered with the cold wind and couldn't help but wrap her arms around herself. Once again, she thought about possibly the seventh brush of death that she experienced just now and shivered at that thought. She knew she was always the person to risk everything, but not at the cost of her life. Indeed, she would die for Yuna, but like any other person who wants to live their lives, she was afraid of her own sacrifice for her young Summoner. "Are you all right?" It was the same question that he always asked, despite him knowing that she wasn't all right.   
  
Lulu's teeth chattered but she shook her head and sighed, rubbing her arms vigorously to get warmth started in her body. "You always ask me that."  
  
Without responding, Auron approached her, took off his red coat and place it around her shoulders. "I wasn't asking about that…" He began buttoning the coat around Lulu so that no wind could enter her body to make her even colder.   
  
Surprised, Lulu turned to look at him. Auron was now wearing only a white shirt. Shocked at his appearance, she began unbuttoning the jacket. "You need this more than me."  
  
Auron shook his head. "I insist that you wear that. You need it more than I."  
  
He was so kind. He was so generous. If only he knew how she felt about him, then it would have been very easy to say those words out loud. But…Lulu turned away. He had Cess and that was all that mattered. The thought of Auron and Cess together made her turn away from him. "I…Thank you for this. I think I'm going to sleep now." She removed the jacket from her shoulders and handed them back to him. Without another word, Lulu turned and walked passed him, back towards the ship and to her room. Auron was left standing there, confused.  
  
  
  
******************  
  
"It's time to die!"   
  
"Stop!" The sound of metal could be heard.   
  
"Do not stop me from killing him!"   
  
Auron recognized Cess' voice coming from inside Kai's room. The other voice was definitely Yuna's. The door to Lulu's room suddenly opened, revealing Lulu in her modest black nightgown.   
  
"What's going on?" a sleepy Rikku whined, rubbing her eyes as she stepped into the hallway. Tidus came out of his own room after that and ran quickly to Yuna's room and when he noticed she wasn't there, he ran to the room where the noise was coming from.   
  
Lulu quickly met Auron's eyes and ran to where the commotion was. Tidus opened the door and saw that Cess had climbed on top of Kai's body and was holding her long sword against Kai's neck. Kai was holding the hand that held the sword as far away as he could, while Yuna desperately trying to get Cess off of him, but she was far too strong. The young Summoner looked up desperately to where Tidus, Lulu, Auron and now, Rikku, stood by the door. "Please help me! She's trying to kill him!" She pulled harder, barely managing to stop Cess' sword from cutting his neck further.   
  
Tidus and Auron ran to the bed, rounding up on Cess and each grabbed the woman by the arms and pulled her away from him. Despite Cess' protest, they managed to pin her against the wall. "LET GO OF ME!" Cess said. Tears were suddenly falling from her eyes. Shocked, Auron loosened his grip on her arm, but did not let go. Cess glared at him. "HE KILLED MY FAMILY! HE KILLED MY FAMILY!" she kept repeating.  
  
That was the side of story he's never heard of from his former lover. "What?" Auron questioned, his eyes widening in surprise.  
  
Kai made a move to attack Cess, but Lulu was faster and chanted the sleeping spell. Kai's body became rigid and his eyes suddenly closed. His body fell back on his bed and he was then fast asleep. Yuna even had the courtesy to put the blanket on top of him to keep him warm. Suddenly, there was silence in the air. Cess must've realized what she said because she stopped yelling, only to stare at the fallen body of his enemy. Tidus and Auron knew at this point, that they were finally allowed to release her. Cess stared into Auron's eyes. Auron did the same. Lulu watched them both, but made no sound. The long haired woman looked away and walked towards the door where it waited opened for her to leave. Without another word, Cess left the scene.   
  
"What was that?" a voice suddenly asked in the deadened air.   
  
All four of them looked to see Rikku standing there suddenly aware of what just happened minutes after recognized as 'very' sleepy. No one could answer her question. Even Auron himself had no idea what was going, except he needed to know. Without a second thought, he followed Cess and Lulu did not dare stop him.  
  
  
  
***************  
  
  
  
"Cess! Stop!" he called, running after her. The woman, who has been known without emotions, did not stop, until Auron reached her and forced her to turn around to face him. She had quickly wiped her tears and was now looking sternly at him with her round, red eyes.   
  
"What do you want, Auron?" she said, frowning and folding her arms across her chest.   
  
"Is it true?" he asked, putting his arm back down at the sides.  
  
Cess turned away and nodded. "You're not the only reason why I was looking for him. My family was killed because of him. I was this close…" She jerked her head back to look at him, her eyebrows furrowed as deep as it could go. "I was THIS close to slitting his throat! But you all stopped me. Even if I was hired to capture him, there was no way I was going to stand there and leave Yuna to take care of him until he was better. He ruined my life…My parents…my sister..." She swallowed hard. "My brother…" Once again, she turned away, forcing herself to hold back her tears. "I left after they died to hunt him down, but it was put on delay when someone hired me to capture him. It was a large amount of money and I couldn't refuse because then I could use that money to rebuild our house in Besaid. But even if I was chosen to capture him, that could not remove my hate towards the man."  
  
Auron took a step forward. "Who hired you?"  
  
She shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is that he lives somewhere in Presia. Even if I was there, I didn't bother to find out who it was, because it would just be a waste of time. But why do you care anyway?" She scowled at him. "Why don't you just go back to your happy life and-!" She was interrupted when Auron's arms suddenly went around her into a tight hug.   
  
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I would have come back if I'd known that this happened."  
  
Startled, Cess stood there, not knowing what to do, but she wrapped her arms around him anyway and endured this moment of being with him again. "I wish you never left, Auron. When you did, it was as if half of my heart was taken away from me."  
  
"You already know the answer on why I had to leave. I was a Guardian after all and Braska was my best friend. I couldn't leave him alone. I had to protect him."  
  
Cess closed her eyes. "I know… Now I understand. I still love you, Auron."  
  
Auron sighed. "I know…" he replied. They stood there together in the darkness, wrapped in an embrace, unaware that someone in the darkness was watching them.   
  
Lulu stood there, once again watching Auron and Cess…together. Taking a deep breath, she turned and headed back to her room.   
  
  
  
*****************  
  
  
  
She sat there, engulfed underneath the bright light of the moon. She sat on her bed, thinking what to do next. She couldn't sleep. Her thoughts kept coming back to Auron and Cess, both their arms wrapped around each other. What was she doing? She wasn't supposed to feel this way. Auron was just her fellow Guardian and Cess was his former lover so there was no point in stopping them if Auron felt the same way about her. Then again, Cess had tears in her eyes so Auron, being the gentleman he was, had the duty to comfort her because he knew her more than anyone here in the ship.   
  
Sighing deeply, Lulu decided to do some reading, but as she looked around…there WAS nothing to read. Frustrated, she stood up and headed for the window, maybe look out there and find something that could put her to sleep. Still…there was none.  
  
Tap! Tap!  
  
The sound of someone knocking on the door startled her, but as calmly as she did before, she glanced at the door and quietly said, "Come in."  
  
The door slowly opened and a pair of black boots was the first thing Lulu noticed when the figure entered the room. It was Auron, though Lulu was quite surprised at his presence, wondering what brought him in the room in the first place. "What is it, Sir Auron?" she asked, turning around to face him. Him standing there, with the light illuminating above him, casting a shadow, made him look like a God. Lulu felt her heart skip a bit. Afraid that he would hear her heart, she clasped a hand over it and took a deep breath.  
  
Auron thought for a moment on what to say. He took a step forward, but stopped only just an inch, afraid that he was doing something wrong. Before he had a chance to talk, Lulu moved further away from him towards the window and said, "How is she?"  
  
It took him a moment to realize that the question she was asking was about Cess. He nodded finally after. "She's fine. She's gone to bed now."  
  
"I see… She must be tired from all that crying…"   
  
There was something odd about the way Lulu said those words and Auron couldn't help noticing it. He dared to take another step, but stopped again. "Are you all right?"  
  
The question again…She could never get tired of that though. Lulu took a deep breath. What was wrong with her? Is she jealous now? "I'm fine… Really, I'm fine…" She gritted her teeth. Lulu could feel her fists clenching at her sides. She couldn't stop…Why wasn't she stopping?   
  
"Lulu?" He took several more steps, making him almost just a foot away from where she stood. "You don't sound well."  
  
She forced herself to stop shaking with anger, but the more she thought about it, the more she couldn't stop herself. Lulu felt a large hand on her shoulder and she suddenly paused to turn her head around at him. "What is it? Why did you come here, Sir Auron? Tell me now."  
  
Auron removed his hand from her shoulder and it immediately went behind his neck to rub the nervousness from his whole body. "I…I don't know why I'm here. Actually, I don't know why I feel this way."  
  
Confused, Lulu lifted up an eyebrow. "What?"  
  
"Please don't push me away. I want to show you something and if you don't feel the same way, then you can just shove me out of this room." He took one more step until he was close enough. Auron placed a hand under her chin and lifted up her head so she was looking into his eyes. Lulu did not move. She was too confused and too shocked. Auron leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.   
  
Lulu closed her eyes, allowing his lips to explore over hers.  
  
They were suddenly aware of the fiery passion they have been holding on for so long. The war between head and heart was no longer there. The heart was surrendering. They BOTH surrender to their feelings and with the kisses they exchanged with each other, they allowed each other to hold on to that feeling without any interruptions.   
  
Lulu wrapped her arms around his neck and continued to kiss him back. She felt Auron tightening his embrace around her waist. "Auron…" she whispered. Suddenly, she pulled away from the kiss, allowing both of them to breathe. "No, I can't do this." What were they doing? They were kissing… What about Cess? Doesn't Cess feel the same way about Auron? She didn't want to be the one to ruin her love for him. She shook her head and backed away. "I don't want to do this."  
  
Disappointed, Auron nodded. "You're right. You miss Chappu. I can see that. I apologize for jumping so quickly like this. Good night." He turned and left, without giving Lulu a chance to stop him from going.   
  
Lulu stood there, still feeling the tingle of Auron's kisses on her lips. She placed a hand on top of her lips and frowned. Was she doing the right thing? If she was, why wasn't she happy?   
  
It was just so sudden…  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: OOOOOOOOOHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh man has it EVER been a long time since I've updated! ^^; Sorry! Hey hey so Auron and Lulu FINALLY kissed eh? But… the question at the end…what do you guys think? Stay tuned! ;) 


	15. Kai Maru

Note: Sorry for making you guys wait long for every chapter! I know, I know I keep apologizing, but you have to understand…. We authors need to think too! It's been hard for me to figure out how to continue without getting stuck and then lose my readers' interests in the story! *ahem* so on this chapter there is mostly Kai and Lulu's past!  
  
  
  
Chapter 15 – Kai Maru   
  
  
  
He was a boy who had many dreams. He dreamt of being the greatest magician Presia village has ever had. He dreamt of being the most beloved boy in the village and he dreamt of being with the only girl he has ever loved.   
  
That was his dream…  
  
But-  
  
She shattered it all and left him for a new life to live and a new man to love.   
  
However, despite all the sadness in his life, he can never forget the little girl, who smiled in all life's worth, without a care in the world. Part of him was angry at her for leaving him, part of him still loved her with all the past they had together and part of him felt anguish just seeing her.  
  
  
  
~Fifteen years ago (Kai 08, Lulu 07) ~   
  
"Kai! Don't!" A seven year old girl yelled. This girl had long dark hair, one that reached up to her waist and had the deepest shade of black eyes that made it look as though they were purple.   
  
The little boy continued to splash water at the girl, making her face turn even redder with anger. "Hah! Hah!" he laughed, as his best friend ran after him. He had longer legs, so he had the advantage to outrun her. "You can't catch me!" He went further on into the deep water, but as he turned, his best friend just stopped only up to where the water reached her knees and looked up with a frightened expression on her face.   
  
"No fair!" the dark haired girl pouted, grabbing the hem of her skirt higher so it wouldn't get soaked. "I can't swim!"  
  
Kai sighed, turned and walked back to her. "Oh come on! You HAVE to swim. How are you going to be a Black Mage if you can't swim? All Black Mages will have to face the elements of water if they wish to become Guardians to a Summoner!"  
  
Lulu's eyes widened in surprised. "But….I WANT to be a Guardian!"  
  
The dark haired boy sighed again and held out his hand. "This means you HAVE to learn how to swim… eventually!"  
  
The younger girl stared at his hand reluctantly and after a couple of seconds, she took it and waited. Kai led her down deeper into the water, but he felt his hand being squeezed too hard. "Hey, don't squeeze so hard!" he said, turning to frown at her.  
  
Lulu hesitantly loosened her grip and suddenly backed away, feeling the water now reaching pass her shoulders. She ran back until she felt the cold water hit her knees. Kai turned around and frowned, folding his arms across his chest. "Come on! Stop being such a scaredy cat!"  
  
Tears suddenly filled her eyes. Kai felt his heart stop. "Hey! Don't cry! Come on! I didn't mean what I- I'm sorry!" He ran to her, but Lulu's tears did not cease. They kept on falling from her eyes and into the water where it dissolved. She buried her face into her hands and wept. "I'm too scared!" she said. Kai took a long deep breath and wrapped his arms around her. "I promise I won't let you go!"  
  
Lulu looked up. "You promise?"  
  
Kai smiled. "I promise…" He held out his hand again and this time, Lulu took it with more confidence in her heart, knowing that Kai was going to be there to keep her safe if anything happened. He pulled her gently back into the deep side of the water. Unsure, Lulu held on tightly, but Kai didn't mind this time. He wrapped his arm around her waist to keep her steady and smiled reassuringly as Lulu struggled to keep herself from being scared whenever her feet touched nothing but air. "Trust me, Lulu," he whispered in her ear. "I want you to spread your arms." He loosened his hand around her right hand and moved it along with her while she moved her arms forward so that Lulu was at least spread-eagled face forward into the water.   
  
Lulu blushed. "O- Okay," she replied, closing her eyes and swallowing hard. She felt the water hit her face, but she wasn't about to give up now. She had to trust Kai and that was all that mattered. "What do I do now?" Then, she felt Kai's arms were no longer around her waist to keep her balance. She suddenly opened her eyes and they landed right to Kai, standing a few centimeters away from her. "Hey!!!" She panicked and began thrashing her arms and legs about, trying to find the bottom of the water. Lulu swallowed the salty water while struggling to keep her head on the surface. She tried calling out to him, until finally; she felt Kai's arms around her.   
  
"H- Hey! Calm down! OOF!" Lulu had backhanded him across the face. "I said-!" There was another backhand lash across his face. He knew that if he didn't bring her back to the surface soon, he was going to get bruises all over his face. "I got you okay? I got you! Calm down!" He was holding on to her now, keeping her head above water and lifting her up so that she was standing.   
  
Lulu opened her eyes, wiping water from her face and glared at him. "Why did you let go!?" She wrapped her arms around his neck, her tears visible along with the water from her hair that fell down her face.   
  
Kai couldn't help but laugh. "You didn't need to panic! Do you even know how deep this water is? It's only up to your neck!"  
  
The dark haired girl slapped the back of his hand angrily. "Then why did you position me as if I was swimming when we're not even in deep water yet!?"  
  
The taller boy shook his head, trying to suppress a laugh because Lulu was glaring at him constantly. "Well, not ALL beginners begin in deep water to swim! I was just starting you off and then the more practice you get, the deeper we'll go into the water, got that?"  
  
"Stop confusing me!" Lulu scoffed. "Can we just go back to the surface please?" she begged, looking down at her feet floating. The dark haired girl looked up anxiously at him and, hesitantly, Kai finally nodded and swam her back to shore.   
  
  
  
~The present~  
  
The last day was finally here. It was finally time to defeat Sin. She looked out into the sky, where birds were flying high into the air. Freedom was theirs, but despite the thought of defeating Sin and going home, she knew there was no way she was going to feel freedom after that. Lulu felt there was just something she needed to worry about, before and after defeating Sin, but she had no idea what it was. Then… her thoughts went to Auron. She glanced to where he was standing, just near the pilot seat, looking out into the ocean below as if deep in a trance. Without a moment to think about it, Lulu joined him there. That same cold sensation surrounded her, but she chose to ignore that.   
  
"Is something the matter, Sir Auron?" After that kiss last night, she knew she had to feel awkward around him, or he awkward around her, but since both of them were already adults, they knew it was time to act like one.   
  
Auron said nothing for a few seconds, before saying, "That kiss," he said, lowering his voice so the others wouldn't hear. "I apologize for being direct towards you."  
  
Lulu shook her head. "You don't need to. It was just…. In the moment, I believe." It was certainly the oddest conversation they have ever had. "But…something must be bothering you..."  
  
"Yes," Auron said quickly. That startled Lulu. The answer was just sudden, as if he was waiting for her to say that so that he had a reason to reply. "I feel that my end is near." Those words were meant for Lulu and Lulu alone.  
  
Lulu looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?" Was he talking about dying? Does he already know he was going to die eventually after defeating Sin? "I do not understand your words, Sir Auron. Surely you cannot be saying that we will all die because you think we cannot defeat Sin. And we will! Yuna and we Guardians will make sure of that!"  
  
Auron did not look at her when he said, "Is that so? Hm…." She will never know the truth until he was ready, but he knew he had to get it out sooner, or else it will eat him alive… which was really an odd expression considering the 'condition' he was in. He was already dead so how can Yuna make sure that ALL of them were going to live? Without a word, he turned and suddenly left, leaving Lulu to ponder in his short, but discreet answers.   
  
  
  
**************  
  
  
  
Was that a dream? Or was it a memory he knew he wanted to forget? Whatever it was, it felt real… He quickly sat up in bed and looked around wearily. How long will they keep him confined in this room? He knew he couldn't get out. He knew that that blond jerk was out there ready to find some kind of reason to kill him. Kai knew he was still injured from his brush with death, and that he couldn't find his staff (which he presumed was hidden by Lulu) to even pick a fight with the armed, younger man. He had a mean looking sword and…on top of that, there was Auron; a tall man with the scar across his right eye and a sword big enough to cut this airship alone. "Dammit!" he swore, glancing down at his injury. He was tired of being cooped up in this room. He had to get out.   
  
"Where do you think you're going?" Kai stopped in his tracks and looked around, searching for the source of the voice and there, just to his right, was a dark shadow. The figure stood up, but Kai knew all this time that the figure belonged to. The dark haired man folded his arms across his chest (though with so much effort since his shoulders were still injured) and sat back down.   
  
"You really intend to keep me cooped up here forever?" he asked, frowning.   
  
Lulu stood up and approached him slowly, the new attire she was wearing, which shorter than her old one, was dragging on the ground. She looked at him with those dark eyes of hers, but they weren't full of hatred. In fact, her eyes were full of…was that pity he saw?   
  
Kai kept his lips turned into a frown and turned his back to her, unaware that he was showing her more than he intended; his scar. "I don't understand you at all, Lulu. After what I did to you, you still keep me alive? I thought you would've killed me by now."  
  
Lulu looked at the scar that ran from his right shoulder down to the lower spine to his left. "I don't like killing people, especially those who are unarmed."  
  
He snorted. "So, that's it huh? You plan on killing me once I'm armed?"  
  
"If I have to…yes." She hated answering his questions. "But I know you would just harm anyone who would get between you and me….right?" For some reason, Lulu began to trace his scar with her finger. "I never saw this before, Kai. Who did this to you?"  
  
Kai shivered at her touch and jerked away. "I told you…it's nothing."  
  
Lulu always knew Kai was a stubborn boy. Even when they hit thirteen years old, Kai was always injured after every match he had with another Black Mage to be tested and when he lost, full of scratches and bruises, the first word he would say was…. 'It's nothing.' "You always say that," she finally said after a few moments of silence.  
  
The long haired man looked at her over his shoulder. "You still remember that?"  
  
"Of course. I would never forget all those things we shared together."   
  
Once again, Kai said nothing and turned his head back towards the wall in front of him. After all these years, he thought Lulu would forget their childhood. He never forgot. He promised himself he wouldn't so that he could always remember what Lulu was like.  
  
"You know you've changed," Lulu said, sitting down on the bed.  
  
"We both did," he answered, without looking at her. "There was always a smile on your face every time you saw me." He looked at her again, but this time without any hatred in his eyes. There was a genuine look she knew he was capable of.   
  
Lulu turned away. "You were always a nice boy…what happened to you?"  
  
"You left," Kai said, as simple as that.  
  
"Did my leave affect you THAT much?" she couldn't believe her ears.   
  
"What do you think?" He glared at her, now a look full of hatred. "You didn't even stop to think how it would affect me if you left. You didn't even bother to tell me WHY you left instead YOU DECIDED TO RUN OUT WITHOUT A CARE IN THE WORLD THAT-!" A loud crackling snap forced him to stop. Kai's head was thrown to the side, followed by redness on his cheek. Startled, he placed a hand on his swollen cheek and looked at her defiantly, but that look was replaced with an expression of remorse when he noticed Lulu's eyes filled with tears.  
  
"How DARE you say something like that to me!? Without a care in the world? If you must know, care was the only thing I thought of when I LEFT!" She turned away, not wanting to show that she was once again weak. She wanted to be strong.   
  
Kai was left speechless as he sat watching her.  
  
"Every time I thought of you, I keep remembering that night when I…." She swallowed hard. "When I…When I killed him." Lulu placed her hands on the bed spread and gripped hard on the sheets as hard as she could to try to suppress her anger she was feeling right now. "If they knew about what I did, and what you were doing to protect me, they would have immediately suspected that both of us planned to kill him. I didn't want you to go down with me…so I….So I left. That was the only choice I could think of."  
  
Surprised at this revelation, the dark haired man continued to stare at her.  
  
"I had no idea that leaving you affected you that much, because I was too wrapped up in my own fear to worry about that. I was scared that they would kill me. There was shame and guilt all around me and I couldn't stop myself from leaving. I had to go. I didn't want to stay and remember what I did. And when I saw you… I began to remember all those things." She stood up and turned around to face him. Kai made to move to look at her a lot clearer, but the darkness in the room concealed their expressions all the same. "I loved you Kai. I truly did, but I don't know if I can love you anymore. You have to accept that I am moving on with my life and so should you. If you truly love me, then you'll have to let me go. I don't know what you did to Cess' whole family but-!"  
  
"That is NONE of your business!" he spat, interrupting Lulu.   
  
"I know you didn't kill them," Lulu said calmly.  
  
Kai jerked his head towards her, but the injury caused him to wince and turn away. He clutched at his wound in pain. He took a moment to breathe and calm down before saying, "Of course I didn't!"  
  
That answer startled her. She didn't expect him to answer that honestly and quickly. "Then who did? Why does she think it was you? Unless you're lying to me…" He was hurting. From what Yuna told her, she saw the pain in his eyes whenever she mentioned something that relates to his own past. "What happened to you?"  
  
Kai laid back down on his bed. He closed his eyes, but whenever he did, his father's face would start flashing. Kai decided to think of Lulu to get rid of that horrible feeling and when he did, his father's face disappeared.  
  
  
  
~Eleven years ago (Kai 11, Lulu 10) ~  
  
  
  
Everyone in the village was there. The men, women and the children all waited for the moment of truth on who was the better Black Mage; Kai or Lulu? All this was to be determined by a match of strength and skill and despite being young; Mayor Moris knew that these two had the potential. But he would bring straight his own child to hell if he was beaten by a mere half black mage!   
  
"You two ready?" a man with long blond hair spoke (which seems to be the style these days) as he lifted up his staff. "Be careful where you aim, for there are spectators around you. A Black Mage should know that rule. Harm only when you need to, heal only when you have to and…" he paused and looked at the young girl with short dark hair.  
  
"Fire only when it's necessary," she replied.  
  
The blond nodded, satisfied, lifted up his staff and said, "GO!"  
  
The roar of the villagers echoed throughout the forest. Mayor Moris lifted up his hand to them and they suddenly quieted down. All that was left of the noise was silence. Everything was still and all eyes were focused on the two youngest Black Mages ever to surpass those who were much older than them. Mayor Moris knew Kai had the potential. Kai was very young when he learned meteor, while his father was fifteen when he fired his first meteor. There was a big age gap in their skills and Moris was very confident with this.  
  
Lulu grinned. "Are you ready?"  
  
Kai smiled. "Of course!"  
  
Suddenly, the battle started. The first one to move was Kai as he launched forward, lifting up his staff in the air and yelling, "Firaga!" The spectators were in awe at the high level use of fire magic from an eleven year old. They suddenly gasped when his Firaga was countered by Lulu's Waterga, another high level magic that was usually learned mostly by older teens. Kai retaliated with his high level meteor, which Moris knew was enough to defeat someone as powerful as Lulu, despite her age. But Moris felt that Kai used his meteor too early in the match. And, just as he feared, Lulu used her shell to protect herself from the glistening rocks that fell from the sky. The dark haired girl quickly moved to the side to avoid the last rock that was heading her way and felt the need to conjure up her bio spell.   
  
Kai stopped in mid-step when something green began to surround him. It disappeared inside his body and as soon as it did, he felt his face grow hot and his eyes growing heavier and heavier. He felt really sick. "Anti-antidote!" he yelled, closing his eyes in pain. Bright light surrounded him and soon the effect of the bio wore off, leaving him cured and untouched. He ran forward, casting Thundaga on his foe. Lulu quickly moved away, but his attack was faster, leaving a torn right shoulder strap and a cut on her left arm.   
  
Lulu cast Shell and Protect on herself, and then moved forward suddenly, firing her Firaga towards an unsuspecting Kai. However, the dark haired boy dodged that attack quickly and cast another meteor towards Lulu. "METEOR!" he yelled as loud as he could.  
  
The dark haired girl gasped. About a hundred molten rocks fell from the sky, heading down directly towards her. Lulu moved as far away as she could, dodging every one of the rocks that hit the earth, while figuring out how to attack him back without him noticing. After the last one hit, Lulu took time to look up and figure out what he was up to now. From the looks of it, Kai, despite being so far away from him, was sweating from head to toe. Lulu knew he was running out of energy to conjure up another powerful magic to finish her off, so she took this chance. She ran quickly forward, cast reflect on herself and yelled, "FLARE!" A large fire ball exploded from the palm of her doll's hands and began to fly into the air towards Kai's direction. Unable to move because his stamina was low, the fire was heading his way and the dark haired boy could feel the heat rising in his face as it came nearer and nearer. Kai only had one chance before he could get badly hurt.  
  
Lulu watched in fear. She knew that she went too far, but that was how it went in every match. When she watched in the sidelines, Black Mages much older than them fought with great agility and unmatched skills that even some had to be injured badly in order for the other to get the title of a Guardian. But… Lulu swallowed hard. They were still kids. She was still ten and he, eleven. She didn't want this to happen. "KAI!" she yelled suddenly.  
  
The large fireball consumed the one spot Kai was standing in. Light began to form and the only thing Lulu could hear was the blast that erupted in the fighting arena. Everyone held their breath, while Moris, turned and left without a word, knowing well that Kai had lost. Lulu opened her eyes as soon as the light faded. Kai stood, his palms held in front of him and from what the dark haired girl noticed, he had absorbed all the power from the Flare and reduced it into a smaller size. Impressed, every face in the village felt their eyes glow in astonishment.   
  
They all held their breath, waiting for the right moment…for the result.   
  
Kai and Lulu stood, staring at each other, while everyone waited until one of them collapsed in order to confirm the winner. Kai took a deep breath, closed his eyes and fell unconscious on the floor. "Kai!" Lulu yelled, running to his side.  
  
  
  
**********************  
  
  
  
Darkness had fallen by the time he made it back home. He looked down at the bandages around his injuries that was inflicted on him by Lulu's flare and stared up at the door of his home. He frowned. He knew what was going to happen now. He could just see his father's face, but he had to be brave. His father should know that he did the best he could out there, so why should his father be angry about that?   
  
Kai, with his left hand, opened the door and stepped inside quietly. Everything was darkness in the house, even the kitchen where his mother was supposed to be cooking dinner had the lights turned off. For some unknown force, Kai had the tendency to keep his eyes from looking to the direction of the living room.  
  
"I am disappointed Kai," came his father's voice from somewhere. However, Kai had an idea where it came from. Nervously, he turned his head as cautious as he could towards the living room, where a chair's back was facing him. The chair, as if moving on its own, began to slowly turn. His father was there now, his eyes a look of dangerous malice. His fingers were crossed in front of him and all Kai could do was stare back, gulping some kind of large thing that was stuck in his throat. Moris stood up and approached his son and stopped just inches from him, towering over his eleven year old son. "For the second time, you failed to defeat a half breed Black Mage!" Kai noted his father clenching his fists beside him.  
  
"Don't call her a half breed! She's my best friend!" Kai spat back.  
  
Moris' eyes turned into thin slits. "Are you talking back to me!?" Suddenly, his lips turned into an evil smile. "Well, I guess that requires a punishment!"  
  
Kai's eyes widened. One punishment was enough, but two!? "No…please, father, anything, but that!" His heart pounded enormously in his chest as if it was about to come out of its skin and backed away, while his father advanced forward, reaching out with his hands to grab him. But the wall kept him from going anywhere and Kai had no choice.   
  
"Take off your shirt!" Moris growled.  
  
He was an eleven year old boy. He had no power over his father whatsoever. Despite him having the power of magic, his father was the founder of Presia, a Black Mage descent with the skills and magic of a warrior who fought in many battles. He was just his son. Kai had no choice but to take off his shirt.   
  
"Turn around!"   
  
Kai turned; his back to him.  
  
"I want you to remember this, boy!" he heard his father say. "This will be a reminder that no male from Presia should be defeated by a half breed girl!!!!" He lifted up his arm and roared, "THUNDAGA!"  
  
Loud thunder boomed around the room. Kai knew what the pain was going to be, but he never imagined it was going to be a different type of spell this time. Something that was crueler than the last one he had. He closed his eyes and prepared for the worst. A sharp, searing pain hit him in the back, as if someone hit him with a bamboo stick, but a lot more painful. Kai did more than just wince at the pain. He screamed as loud as he could, but it seemed his father liked that sound and didn't mind it at all. He could hear the splatter of blood and then the sound of a door opening.  
  
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" a female voice yelled.  
  
Kai had no time to turn and look at his mother's face, because he had fallen unconscious.   
  
  
  
~ Present ~  
  
  
  
She sat there, frowning…waiting for him to answer her question, but Kai just laid in his bed, his eyes quickly opened. Did he just have a dream? Was that a dream? No…. it was his past. The past he chose to forget, but why now? Why did he have to remember all that?   
  
Finally, what seemed like forever, Kai felt himself sink into the bed, realizing that Lulu had just stood up; given up on her question and walked out the door. Her footsteps faded as Kai looked over his shoulder to make sure she was gone.  
  
Lulu sighed. It was impossible to let Kai talk now. Whatever happened to the boy I knew? She pondered. The Black Mage did not pay attention to where she was going, so she ended up bumping into someone tall and strong that when she fell backwards after the impact, she felt strong arms holding her still. "Lulu?"  
  
In the dark she couldn't recognize him, but his voice was familiar. "Auron…I apologize, I should have been watching where I was going."   
  
Auron shook his head. "No need. It is much too dark for us to see anyway." He felt her shoulder tense. "Is something wrong?"  
  
Lulu looked up, her face hidden in the shadows. "No there is nothing wrong at all," she replied, but Auron could tell there was something she wanted to share with him and decided against it. He stared at her through the darkness and began thinking about the kiss they shared. How could one woman affect him this much? It didn't make much sense really… Even if something happened between them, he didn't want to make it a long time thing and have his or her heart broken in the process. Auron has dealt with that problem before and he didn't want to do it again.   
  
Suddenly, the ship began to move, but Auron and Lulu felt their body moving from side to side, as if struggling to keep its footage. The Black Mage fell forward, but the swordsman caught her just in time before she hit the floor. The sound of alarm echoed around the Al Bhed ship, followed by Cid's deep and raspy tone through the Communicating box above them. "Could all members of those wanting to defeat Sin please come to the bridge, right away!"  
  
Lulu and Auron looked at each other. It was really an odd way to call them 'members of those wanting to defeat Sin,' but nevertheless; they followed his instructions and headed for the elevator. Rikku appeared right in front of them as they turned the corner, her eyes blood-shot. Lulu could tell that she was trying to sleep but couldn't and when she noticed Rikku holding a letter, marked, 'Vance' at the back. The Black Mage smiled, knowing that Rikku's reasons for not being able to sleep was because of that boy she met in Presia.   
  
The three of them were the last ones to arrive. Wakka, Kimahri, Yuna and Tidus were already there, dressed in their usual attire. The moment they all turned to look at who arrived, Yuna immediately stared to look at Rikku. "Rikku! Are you seriously going to wear THAT against Sin!?"  
  
Rikku was still half asleep as she rubbed her eyes and yawned, before looking down to see what her cousin meant. That little gesture brought a violent blush on her face. "Oh…Um…You see… I was um…" She looked around at Lulu, hoping to get help from the Black Mage, but the older woman was as baffled as they were. Lulu never realized that Rikku was wearing only her nightgown. Her guess was that the blond girl daydreamed too much of Vance while trying to sleep and because of Cid's emergency call, didn't have time to change, or rather, was too tired to change.   
  
"RIKKU!" Cid roared, looking at his daughter with a mixture of shock and anger. "What are you doing wearing that thing!? And what is that letter of!? Is that a love letter!? Why do you have a love letter!?"  
  
The blond said nothing and dashed out the door to change into her usual clothes. It took a moment to everyone to calm down, before Auron asked, "What's going on, Cid? Did something happen?"  
  
Cid was still fuming from Rikku's letter and her embarrassing look, but answered Auron anyway. "We need to take a little detour everyone. The ship needs to be refueled and needs to be fixed from the damage Kai inflicted on my little baby."  
  
"Why do we need the ship? We can walk from here…" Tidus suggested.  
  
"It is impossible," Auron answered. "Sin can only be approached on ship if we are to weaken it. It is very dangerous to approach it on foot."  
  
"The best bet is that we have this ship help you guys out weaken its defenses with its missiles and it won't be able to fire anything if it's out of fuel and is weak," Cid added.   
  
Tidus thought for a moment, and then looked at Yuna. "What do you think?"  
  
Yuna looked at Cid. "Where are you planning to refuel?" she asked.  
  
The bald mad ran a hand through his bare head and looked up the moment Rikku came back fully clothes. "We are going to Al Bhed Home," Cid said proudly.  
  
Rikku looked up at the sound of the name she has never heard for a long time. "Are we?" she asked, her eyes full of excitement and hope. "Are you serious, daddy!?" She began jumping up and down. "OH! I can't WAIT to see Brother!!!!"  
  
Cid winced at the sound of Brother's name, but ignored it. "Yes, we are going there to refuel. Since this airship requires machine parts, we need to go there for it." He glanced at Giron and nodded. "Full speed ahead! Be careful not to use too much fuel though. We need to save it if we want to reach home!"  
  
Giron nodded. "Yes, sir!" He saluted and pushed the lever as far as he could. No one had time to hold on to their lives when the airship went forward full blast. Lulu was surprised that she was thrown forward, but Auron was there to catch her fall. Rikku was able to grab a handle beside her, but ended up dropping the letter marked 'Vance' in the middle and began flying around the bridge. She gasped and ran after it and almost hit her head against the side, but her father pulled her up just in time before she hit her head and cause a massive injury. Wakka and Tidus were able to grab on to handles beside them, while keeping Yuna balanced. The only one who was not thrown back by the force was Kimahri, who stood just as still as the ship when it is on the ground.   
  
  
  
GoodGurl: I know I changed the story a little and yes I know that the Al Bhed home was attacked by the Gerudos, but I'm going to say that in my story, it wasn't attacked and that it's perfectly fine. I have my reasons why! :D 


	16. Al Bhed Home

GoodGurl: I have so many stories to finish, yet I can't seem to find the right time to finish them, especially if there is someone who is very commanding for another chapter before their school starts….Oh yes, you know who you are! o.O LOL! Anyway here it is. This is only a one time thing, because like I said, there are other stories I have to finish too! @_@ Oh yes, I don't know Al Bhed language so please bear with me….  
  
  
  
Chapter 16 – Al Bhed Home   
  
  
  
There was silence and darkness around them. Everyone slowly stood up, their bodies feeling like they were thrown back and forth inside a box.   
  
And they were…   
  
Rikku's hair flew around her face as looked around looking for signs that everyone was alive. To her relief, Auron and Lulu were standing beside her, while Wakka and Tidus, who were holding onto Yuna, were safe. Kimahri was still in the position he had earlier. She glanced in front of her and frowned, planting both her fists on her hips.  
  
"POPS!" Rikku yelled in her native tongue, as she moved her hair from her eyes. "I don't think you needed to do that! We probably had enough fuel to get back!" She looked around for her letter and it was sitting on the floor just behind her father. Quickly, Rikku picked it up and stuffed it back inside the pocket of her shorts.  
  
Cid didn't seem to hear what his daughter told him instead, he turned his face to look at everyone. "Welcome to Al Bhed Home!" He turned to Giron, with his hands clasped behind him in a very 'captain-ish' manner. "Giron open the door!"  
  
Giron reached over in front of him and pressed a button. Cid turned and walked passed the tired looking bunch and headed out towards the deck where the door was opened first. Rikku followed suit, mumbling something in Al Bhed and from what Lulu could tell, they did not sound right as they all followed Rikku. Auron was right behind Lulu, then Kimahri and Wakka. The only ones who didn't leave the ship yet were Yuna and Tidus. Lulu turned to look what they were doing, stopping just in time to see them head towards Kai's room.   
  
Auron noticed that Lulu was no longer beside him. "Lulu?" he said, turning around to see her just standing there, staring at the darkness of the ship.  
  
"They went into Kai's room." Lulu decided to head for his room as well, followed by a curious Auron. They both stopped just by the door, wondering what was going on and then the voices on the other side confirmed it.  
  
"Is this really necessary?" Kai asked, his voice sounding bored and annoyed at the same time. They could hear the sound of chains being moved around, followed by two snaps.   
  
"I'm not going to let you walk around freely is all I'm going to say!" was Tidus' answer in a harsh tone.  
  
Lulu straightened herself up and opened the door. The three people in the room all looked up at the sound of the door opening. They noticed Lulu and Auron standing by the door, curious looks etched on their faces. "What's going on?" she asked.  
  
Yuna was the first one to answer. "Sorry Lulu, but we still don't trust him. I understand that you do and he seems to trust you, but we don't want to endanger anyone else's lives." There was a pleading look in Yuna's eyes that Lulu had no choice but to agree.  
  
"All right," she said. Lulu and Auron moved out of Yuna's way.   
  
Tidus tugged at Kai's chains to force him to stand up and they both followed the young Summoner out the door with Lulu and Auron not far behind. Curious about what Yuna said Auron turned to look at Lulu. He wanted to ask about what happened between her and Kai earlier, but chose not to, knowing full well that Lulu would reply to him.  
  
All five of them stepped out into the fresh air. Rikku, Wakka, Kimahri, Cid and surprisingly, Cess, were waiting for them at the front doors of a large gate, made of Machina parts. Rikku was waving her hand at them. "Come on you guys! Hurry up!" She didn't seem to notice that Kai was chained and was being dragged around by Tidus like a dog, because she was far too excited to see her home again.   
  
The five of them walked faster to catch up to them and once they were finally joined together, the gate suddenly opened. Anyone who loved Machina would be amazed at how much Machina was used in the building of a large city like Al Bhed Home. Cess, Auron, Lulu, Tidus, Yuna, Wakka and even Kai looked around, their eyes fixed from one building to the other, each with its own unique design.   
  
"Wow!" Yuna gasped. In every home, there was at least one Machina moving around inside the buildings, tending to their masters. Cid led the way down the hollow street. Right behind him was Rikku, who seemed awed at what seemed like the changes of the place she grew up in.   
  
Just at the end of the winding road, they were greeted by two young men. One had a blond Mohawk, while the other had a dark skin wearing round, blue glasses. Cid seemed to have been hesitant to greet them, so he allowed Rikku to run ahead of him towards the two. "BROTHER! BUDDY!"  
  
The blond man opened his arms to Rikku as she ran into them. "Rikku!" he said, in an Al Bhed accent. "I have not seen you in a long time," he added in their Al Bhed language. The dark skinned man just nodded, but he was shocked when Rikku hugged him as well. He was too stunned that he just patted her back awkwardly, though Lulu could see the blush on his face.   
  
"Buddy, how are you?" Rikku asked, this time in normal language.  
  
Buddy seemed to be the only one out of the two that knew how to speak non-Al Bhed language. "I'm fine Rikku. It's been a long time."  
  
"YES!" Brother suddenly yelled only for Rikku and Buddy to understand. "Three years and yet you did not write! How could you Rikku!?" He titled his head back dramatically, but Rikku knew he was just being sarcastic.   
  
Cid mumbled something about Brother, but Rikku and Brother chose to ignore that. "I'm going to get some of the parts." He paused and looked at Yuna and the others. "You might have to stay here the night. It could take all day for us to get the ship fixed again. You don't mind?" he said, looking at Yuna, then at Tidus.  
  
The couple both nodded in unison. "We don't mind at all," Yuna replied softly.  
  
"I don't mind sleeping back on the ground again," Tidus said, stretching and yawning.   
  
"Rikku I want you to show everyone to where they can rest for the night." Cid chose to ignore what Tidus said and without even saying hello to his son and to Buddy, he turned and walked off.   
  
"Is he still mad at you?" Rikku whined, sighing.   
  
Brother frowned and said nothing.   
  
Shrugging, Rikku turned around to face everyone. "All right everyone! Welcome to Al Bhed Home, but I guess that welcome was already established by my dad…" She rolled her eyes and glanced at her brother and his friend. She gave a smile, before saying, "Brother, Buddy, I'd like to meet everybody. This is Yuna, Tidus, Lulu, Auron, Wakka, Kimahri and Cess!" A few nods were exchanged, but Brother's eyes immediately landed on Yuna, before he realized that Tidus was holding her hand. He turned his eyes from her and noticed someone just behind the blond with long dark hair.   
  
"Who is that?" Brother asked, his accent visible as he spoke those words.   
  
Rikku turned and glanced at the dark haired man wearing blood red robe torn at his sides. "Oh, that's Kai." She turned and began to lead the way, avoiding Brother's curious looks. "He's just someone we picked up," she added in Al Bhed. Brother and Buddy nodded together knowing that that was going to be the only answer they'll get from the blond girl.  
  
Rikku, Brother and Buddy led everyone into their rooms on the second floor of the large, city-like building. Yuna and Tidus were in separate rooms, due to Kimahri's and Wakka's protest not to put them together. Yuna was fine with it, but Tidus seemed even reluctant to leave Yuna's side as he was led to a room two doors down. In those rooms were going to be Kimahri and Wakka themselves. Even if Yuna was old enough to make her own decisions, Kimahri and Wakka were still protective over their young Summoner and even if Tidus was trustworthy, they did not trust him in the same room with Yuna. Tidus handed the chains attached to Kai's legs to Auron. Auron took it without a word, much to Kai's annoyance and went into his room to sleep. Right next to Tidus was Lulu and when it was Auron's turn for his room, he glanced at Kai first, then at Rikku. "I do not trust him to be in the same place as Lulu," he said, whispering to Rikku.  
  
Cess was nowhere to be seen.  
  
The blond girl waved her hand at him. "Don't worry! Don't worry!" she replied enthusiastically. "I'm going to give him a different room not from here." She took the chain from Auron and watched him go inside his room, who was still unsure about trusting Rikku, her brother and their friend with Kai. Rikku's smile, however assured him that and when he was pretty confident with the three of them, he closed the door behind him.  
  
Rikku, Brother and Buddy walked back down to the third floor with Kai trailing behind, once in a while tugged by Rikku to go faster as if he was indeed a dog. There would be growls of protests from Kai, but Rikku just ignored him, while Brother and Buddy kept giving the older man nervous glances. At first Rikku didn't know where she was going and as they turned around a corner of the first level, the blond girl's memories came back to her. Brother and Buddy were too nervous with Kai's presence to realize that Rikku had JUST remembered where the Basement level was.   
  
Buddy was walking just behind Kai, when they rounded another corner, but as they did, Rikku bumped into someone tall. "Woah!" the voice said. The blond girl managed to place her feet behind her to keep her balanced so she wouldn't fall. She looked up and noticed a tall, blond young man, about a year older than her dressed in purple and red and had a black eye patch covering his right eye. He was looking at Brother first. "Hey Brother!" His eyes were now on Rikku. "Hey! When did you get a girlfriend?" He peered his one eye at her up and down. "She's cute!"  
  
Rikku blushed. Brother just looked at her odd and looked up at the tall man frowning. He folded his arms across his chest and said in their native tongue, "You idiot, Gippal! Don't you remember Rikku? My sister!?"  
  
The man just kept staring at her, trying to remember who she was, which was making Rikku quite uncomfortable. "Ohhhhhhhh, Cid's girl!" he said suddenly.  
  
Startled, Rikku stared at him. Who was this guy?  
  
"Hey! How you been?" The blond suddenly turned and walked away without another word, leaving Brother and Rikku speechless. The blond girl turned to her brother. "Who was that?" she asked.  
  
Brother sighed and rubbed his temples irritably. "You don't remember him?" he said, looking up.  
  
Rikku placed a finger underneath her chin, trying to think, but no memory came to her. "Hm…No, I don't think so. I don't think I've met him before."  
  
Brother took a deep breath and shook his head. "Oh well, I don't think it's a big deal. Let's go! You just grew up together, that's all!" He walked passed her and led them all down the hall, but Rikku wasn't finished with him yet. She tugged at Kai to go faster and was able to catch up to him before Brother made it to the elevator leading down to the Basement level. Buddy trotted towards them, gasping for breath.   
  
"What do you mean, it's no big deal!?" she yelled in Al Bhed. She stopped beside Brother and looked at him annoyingly. "It's a big deal for me because you just told me he and I grew up together! Why won't you tell me who he is!?"  
  
Brother looked at her. "Because he told me not to tell you!"  
  
Rikku just stared at him in disbelief. "What?"  
  
Without giving Rikku an answer, Brother stepped inside the elevator and gestured his sister inside, with Kai rolling his eyes and hoping that he could die right here right now instead of listening to a brother/sister quarrel. Buddy was the last person to step inside and was the first one to press the button to the Basement Level.   
  
It wasn't long until they arrived at their destination. Rikku kept giving Brother curious glances; while in return, the Mohawk man just ignored her and led them down a dark path. "This is where you will stay…uh…Kai," Brother said.   
  
At the end of the dark path, there was a door and as soon as Brother opened it to reveal a dungeon setting, Kai knew what he was in for.   
  
Kai rolled his eyes. "Yippee, I am jumping for joy," he said in a very bored voice. He was quite surprised really at how clean the dungeon was, despite the name. The trio didn't seem to be unnerved at the fact that the dungeon was clean…too clean. The dark haired man could hear Rikku mumble some words in Al Bhed, while Brother just unlocked the door to the first 'room' in front of them. The cage-like room opened with a squeak and, without anymore protests, Rikku led Kai inside quietly, obviously still frustrated about her brother's unwillingness to talk about that man they met earlier.  
  
"I'm going to bring down food for you soon," Rikku said quietly. "I'll let Lulu know you're here since she seems to trust you."   
  
Kai said nothing. He didn't know he felt relief when she said that about Lulu.  
  
Without a word, she walked back down the dark pathway while Brother locked the door in front of Kai. After, both and he Buddy followed Rikku down the pathway and back up the elevator, leaving Kai alone in the dark.  
  
  
  
******************  
  
  
  
Lulu laid in bed, thinking about the events that happened these last few days. She still remembered Kai lying earlier in his bed, mumbling some things in his sleep while she sat there, listening. Lulu never found out where he got his scar from, but she knew it would take him forever to finally reveal his story to her. A mixture of her memories with Kai and the kiss she shared with Auron kept coming back to her.   
  
"Lulu?" someone called from the other side of her door. The voice was followed by a soft knock as Lulu stood up to answer it. Rikku was standing there smiling, her hands clasped behind her back. "Hi Lulu!"  
  
Lulu looked at her curiously. "What is it, Rikku?"  
  
"Oh I just wanted to tell you that Kai is down at the Basement level so you don't have to worry about him for a while! I'm going to the kitchen now to get him something to eat." Rikku smiled again and left, leaving Lulu confused and quite relieved. At least she knows that Kai won't be going anywhere for a while.   
  
"Hey, Rikku?" she called, before the young girl could step inside the elevator heading for the kitchen area.   
  
"Yeah?" Rikku bounced her way back in front of Lulu's door.   
  
"I'll take the food to him," she said.   
  
The blond looked at her strangely, then nodded. "All right. You can come with me and carry the food down to where he's staying."  
  
Lulu nodded and followed Rikku down to the elevator and to the kitchen area. Al Bhed chefs and customers surrounded the kitchen area and from the looks of it, Lulu thought she was standing right inside a restaurant. Rikku led her down to the back way, greeted some of her Al Bheds on the way and grabbed any already prepared food from the kitchen counter. Lulu was shocked at this. Rikku was grabbing food that should be for the customers, but as she did so, none of the Al Bhed kitchen crew seemed to be unnerved by this. And then the Black Mage remembered that Rikku was Cid's daughter, the founder of Al Bhed Home.   
  
Rikku stuffed her arms with chips, sausages or anything from the counter. Her hands were so full that she shoved some of them into Lulu's arms, much to the Black Mage's surprise and led her back out of the kitchen. It took Lulu a moment to realize what had happened, before she said, "Are you sure it's okay to take these?" They were just heading to the elevator when she asked the younger girl.  
  
The young Al Bhed girl looked at her and giggled. "Of course! Why wouldn't it be?" She stopped in her tracks when she noticed something ahead of them. Lulu looked at her. "What is it?" The Black Mage looked up and noticed a blond man, standing around six feet tall approaching them with an eye patch over his right away, his mouth forming into a thin grin.   
  
"Heeeyyy! It's you again, Cid's girl!" the man said in their native tongue, looking at Rikku.  
  
Rikku frowned, which surprised Lulu because usually the blond girl was a happy-go-lucky type. "I have a name and Brother mentioned it earlier! It's Ri---kku!" She said her name much slower as if talking to a dumb person.  
  
The man just laughed. "Every time I see you, you get even cuter!" He ruffled her hair and left. Rikku just turned away, but Lulu turned her head towards her just in time to see her blush. 'Interesting' she thought.  
  
When they arrived at the Basement Level, Lulu was greeted with a very frustrated looking Kai, who sat on his thin mattress bed. He looked up at the sound of footsteps coming, but did not move from his spot. He just glared at Lulu as if he couldn't believe he was put in a place like this. "Well, if it isn't my 'best friend,'" he mumbled.  
  
Rikku looked at Lulu, but the Black Mage just ignored the blond and approached the cage. She grabbed an apple from the food gathered in her arms and handed it to Kai. "Here, eat this. You look pale."  
  
Kai turned away. "No thanks," he murmured.   
  
Lulu sighed. "You need to eat something if you want your strength back, Kai." When he didn't answer, she began pushing the food through the small food flap made of metal. Rikku followed suit, knowing she's supposed to do the same thing and watched as Lulu stood back up. "We'll just leave the food here. If you're hungry just take it from here."  
  
"I got a question for you," Kai finally said. He looked up, his eyes glaring at Lulu and Rikku. "Why am I in this position right now? Don't you guys get that I don't have a weapon to make to help me escape? And why exactly do I have to have these CHAINS…" He lifted up one leg to indicate the metal things attacked to his leg. "AROUND MY LEG!?"  
  
"You almost killed all of us, therefore, we believe it's much safer for you to be in here," Rikku answered as a matter-of-factly.  
  
Lulu sighed and nodded. "She's right, Kai."   
  
Kai turned away and growled. "Fine…" He folded his arms across his chest and leaned his back against the wall. "You can go now."  
  
Rikku turned and walked away, but Lulu remained for a while. "Kai, this will only be temporary until we leave to defeat Sin tomorrow morning."  
  
"And then what?" Kai asked, looking up. "What happens to me now? What happens to us?"  
  
Lulu frowned. "There was never an 'us' Kai. That's in the past now." With that said she turned and left, leaving Kai angry, yet at the same time, heartbroken.  
  
  
  
******************  
  
When she returned to her room, she found Auron standing by her doorway. Surprised, Lulu looked at him curiously. "What are doing here, Sir Auron?"  
  
Auron peered through his glasses. "I went to knock on your door, but you weren't there so I got worried."  
  
Lulu laughed. "There is nothing for you to worry about, Sir Auron."  
  
Auron was taken aback by Lulu's reaction. That was the second time he has heard her laugh like that. It was music to his ears. "Oh all right," he said quietly. He slowly turned and began walking away, but Lulu's voice stopped him.  
  
"Sir Auron? Do you want some company?" she asked.  
  
That question surprised Auron the most. He turned and looked at her, while Lulu just shrugged and looked away. "Well, I just thought maybe you needed some company." Even with all that's happening, every time she saw him, she would still remember that kiss. She couldn't get her mind off of it. "I- I still can't get that kiss out of my mind," she said truthfully.  
  
Auron blinked. He was quite relieved that she said that because he felt the same way. He turned away. All of a sudden, something caught his throat. He cleared his throat quietly and said, "What do you wish to do?"  
  
Lulu shrugged. "Would you like to go for a walk?" she suggested.  
  
The swordsman nodded agreeably. "I do not mind a little walk. Walking will help us both to sleep and think about what happened…" Those last few words were hard for him to say, but good thing he managed to get it out of his lips.  
  
Lulu nodded and smiled. She led the way through the hallway, while Auron followed behind, quietly keeping his cool. The two of them decided to go down the stairs to reach the first floor. It was now almost dinner time and many of the Al Bhed Home residence were still roaming the streets, talking amongst each other in their native tongue. They didn't seem to realize Auron and Lulu there, the only two people who did not speak Al Bhed.   
  
They were both quiet for a while, unable to say any word that would help start the conversation. They continued to walk down the street, looking at the buildings and the people other than each other. It bothered Lulu that both of them couldn't start a conversation. It was the perfect time to be talking, but she knew that even this time was not the perfect time. At time she noticed Auron glancing at her and then would quickly turn away whenever she looked at him.  
  
Finally, Auron was able to see something that caught his eye. To his right, he noticed a doll shaped like a person and to his shock, it looked like Lulu. Lulu seemed to have noticed it too, because she stopped walking. "Is that-?" Lulu could not contain herself as she approached the doll resting on top of other dolls similar to her.   
  
Auron stopped to look and walked to her side. She was picking one up and was staring at it curiously. The man who was selling the dolls was speaking in Al Bhed so none of them understood what he said. Lulu just gave him a nod, giving Auron occasional looks of disappointment that she wasn't going to know WHY they had dolls that looked like her. Sighing, she put the doll back down and began to laugh. Even when she hid the disappointment behind her laugh, Auron could still hear that same music in his ears. "I guess I'm popular here!"  
  
The swordsman said nothing.  
  
  
  
*************************  
  
There was sweat all over his face. His third dream of the day came to haunt him. He stirred, mumbling something in his sleep. He kicked and punched as if he was fighting someone in reality.   
  
The figure approached him slowly, sword gripped tightly inside the intruder's hands. The concealed figure watched as the man laid in his bed, drenched some more with his sweat, his eyes moving as they stayed closed.   
  
"Nooo…. Please….please… no more…" he moaned. "Father….don't hurt me…father…"  
  
Cess stopped and lifted up the sword above her head, ready to strike.  
  
"I promise to be good. I promise to bring Lulu back and marry her. Please don't use that on me. Please…" He turned, his back now facing Cess hovering above him, revealing more than just his back. Because of his torn clothes from his injuries, she could see something red running across his back. It was a scar. Curious, Cess stared at it as he continued to moan. "Please not that. I promise to kill her parents. Just don't hurt mother. Please just don't hurt mother and Lulu…Don't hurt them…"  
  
Cess' eyes widened in anger. "So it WAS YOU!"   
  
  
  
At the sound of her voice, Kai opened his eyes, staring right at her. She was hovering above him ready to strike with her sword. The dark haired man was able to get away at the last minute, quickly moving away from where she had struck. Cess' eyes were full of hatred for the man.  
  
"I won't EVER forgive you! It was a mistake to keep you alive in the first place! I don't care if they said to keep you alive, just as long as I can bring your head on a platter to prove to them that you were GUILTY!" She swung her sword, but due to her anger, she was unable to touch him as much. Kai easily dodged each attack.  
  
"You got it all wrong…" Kai gasped, taking a deep breath. But Cess would not listen. Her loud growl was evident that she wasn't listening. Damn! He hissed to himself. There was no use in speaking to her now. If she kept this up, there was no way for him to move anymore. The manacles around his legs were tiring him out. She dived for him, but the only thing the sword stabbed was the apple lying neatly on the bedside table. Kai moved to the other side, but Cess, despite being angry, was fast enough to cut him across the face. Kai was startled. Blood poured from his face. He didn't have time to wipe them off when Cess charged again.  
  
This time, Cess had hit the target. The sword pierced through Kai's already injured side and just as she was about to make a second strike, a pair of hands curled itself in between her arms and forced her hands behind her back. Cess tried to struggle, but the arms were much too strong for her. The sword fell from her hands and clattered on the floor. Kai fell on the floor, bleeding at his side and the last thing he remembered was the face of a blond young man with an eye patch over his right eye.  
  
  
  
GoodGurl: HAH! There! Finished! Now what do you guys say??? THANK YOU OF COURSE! ^^ 


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